New chapter for Key biography contains words, contradictions
Updated book contains some sort-of revelations.
Updated book contains some sort-of revelations.
In an example of multiplatform promotional synergy – or is it native advertising? – the NZ Herald is reporting a new chapter in the biography of the Prime Minister by one of its senior editorial writers contains a number of sort-of revelations.
John Roughan’s recently released John Key: Portrait of a Prime Minister has been updated with a chapter focused on the 2014 election campaign.
Mr Key told Mr Roughan that he believes he knows the identify of Rawshark, the hacker who took the information from attack blogger Cameron Slater’s computer that formed the basis of Nicky Hager’s Dirty Politics, for example – but neglected to let his biographer in on the secret.
“Someone phoned and told me who the hacker was but, other than having a look at this person, I thought, ‘Oh well ... nothing will come of it. Life goes on’,” the Prime Minister is quoted as saying.
According to a spokeswoman, Mr Key has not furnished police investigating the theft of Mr Slater’s information with the name either, because he’s not involved in the inquiry and “cannot be certain” of the hacker’s identity.
The new chapter also includes some inconsistent statements about Jason Ede, a former spin doctor for the PM who – Dirty Politics alleges – engaged in covert, deniable attacks against National Party opponents.
Cabinet minister and campaign manager Steven Joyce is quoted as saying Mr Ede did “quite a lot on the attack side,” whereas Mr Key characterises Mr Ede’s work as “defensive” and focused on ensuring “a bit of balance” in the media’s coverage of issues.
Mr Joyce is also quoted as saying Mr Ede stopped working for the National Party on the evening Dirty Politics was launched, over five weeks before the election, whereas a post-poll statement from National stated Mr Ede resigned his party role the day before the election.
The updated biography also reveals National considered giving a nod and a wink to voters in order to assist Colin Craig's Conservatives across the 5% threshold (spoiler: it didn’t).