Cameron Slater of the Whale Oil blog says that he is breaking court suppression orders because there is a 'celebrity culture' at work in the New Zealand legal system - if you are a 'celebrity' than you more likely to have you're name suppressed than the ordinary Joe or Joanne Blow.
Yes, Slater implies he's fighting the good fight for all of us poor sods who don't happen to be ex-MP's or ex-Olympic competitors. He's in our side! He wants to help!
The problem is that Slater runs a blog that, rather than displaying a public conscience, routinely defends the rich and famous, the pampered and the privileged. Slater routinely attacks the poor and politically voiceless and obsessively attacks liberals and left wingers.
Although he wants to be known as a rebel, he's just another media cheerleader for the establishment. In Slater's case he doesn't mind resorting to prejudice, smear and vitriol to keep New Zealand safe from commies/pinkos/feminists/lesbians/liberals/John Minto/animal rights activists/environmentalists.
It is a little late in the day for Slater to claim that he has a public conscience, that he's not just a boot boy for the right.
Although he likes to be portray as a working class lad, he comes from a background of wealth and privilege himself.
Slater's father, John, is a former National president, current president of Auckland's Citizens and Ratepayers council bloc, and is a close friend and supporter of present Auckland mayor John Banks.
On his blogging Slater told the Sunday Star Times last year:
'It's not what you write, or how you write; it's not even the content. It's about getting attention.'
Slater would be in trouble if he had to rely on his writing for attention - its generally crude and hamfisted, displaying no subtlety and little thought.
What would talkback radio look like in written form? It would look exactly like Whale Oil. It's not surprising then that right wing talkback host Michael Laws has launched a 'legal defence fund' for Slater, with Laws contributing the first one hundred dollars.
But Slater needs to keep the hits up on his blog and that's why he is deliberately breaking suppression orders. Perhaps his brand of schlock is losing its appeal.
The pressure of 'ratings' has led to Slater displaying a base hypocrisy.
A few days ago hes aid that he did not break an suppression order because the alleged victim was a child.
A few days later he beaks a suppression order involving an ex-MP - the alleged victim is a young girl.
It appears that Slater's need for attention is so great he's has no qualms about dragging a young girl into his machinations.
It's little wonder than Slater has been charged with a breach of s.139(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1985 - breaching a non-publication order that protects the identity of a rape victim.
This is the last time I will be talking about Cameron Slater on this blog. The guy lives off the oxygen of publicity and I don't intend to contribute to his oxygen supply in the future.
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