All posts tagged Seven Sharp

Seven Sharp – celebrity over substance

Seven Sharp was not very sharp starting this year.  I rarely watched it last year or the year before, and didn’t watch it last night, but reactions would suggest it won’t be of much interest to me.

It sounds like it is another step on the road to more media made mush – manufactured ‘celebrity’ over substance.

I generally look for something of more interest online at 7 pm, if I’m not doing something else.

Ten thoughts about the brand new Seven Sharp at The Spinoff highlights the focus, not just of what used to be current affairs programmes, but also of media commentators.

 1. About one of the new presenters, asking if he was ok.

 2. About the same new presenter, asking if he could not lie.

 3. Cake baking. Really, the presenters cake baking.

 4. …the fundamentals are largely the same.

The Hosking/Street Seven Sharp was a pair of hosts with no audience and no guests doing links between magazine-style segments. So far, we’ve seen nothing to suggest that fundamental structure has changed. The opening story covered school lunches, and ended with the hosts dropping the stat that 88% of countries provide them for pupils – something it’s hard to imagine Hosking emphasising. But aside from the brilliant Anika-Celine encounter, the remainder of the segments stuck with the familiar formula, and thus made it feel more re-fresh than reboot.

 5. About the presenters. “As a male/female dynamic to watch at work each night” – is that really what people want to watch? Apparently.

6. More celebrity stuff. Anika Moa interviewed a barely recognisable Celine Dion. Apparently Anika was the star of the show.

7. About a parking ticket at a shopping mall.

8. There was no audience, so all the focus was on the celebrities.

9. Comparing it to one of the first New Zealand celebrity shows (that in comparison had some actual substance).

It’s just Holmes but with fun cakes and not as much racism! Actually, that bit about the “eskimo” lollies wasn’t great.

10. Asks “Will it work?” and then says it all depends on the celebrities.

The review was much like the show by the sound of things, souped up celebrity sacharine sans substance.

People who like watching trivia and talking twats and don’t get diverted with frequent advertising breaks may stick it out, but anyone with a computer or tablet or smart phone is likely to be off in a click or swipe, probably never to come back.

10 Comments
by Pete George on 6th February 2018  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 6th February 2018

https://yournz.org/2018/02/06/seven-sharp-celebrity-over-substance/

Praise and hate after Hosking and Street announcement

I never cared for Mike Hosking. I rarely watched Seven Sharp, it wasn’t a programme that attracted my attention.

In the age of celebrity some media portrayed the announcement last night that Hosking and co-host Toni Street (she was a face without a name to me) were finishing their stint on Seven Sharp as ‘Breaking News!’ That’s become normal lame, ‘breaking news’ is broken.

Of course 1 News praised their highly paid employees, but some of the reaction showed how much hate is expressed on social media.

1 News: Watch as Toni Street and Mike Hosking say they’re stepping down from Seven Sharp after four years co-hosting show

After four years, Toni Street and Mike Hosking are stepping down as co-hosts of TVNZ 1’s Seven Sharp.

Toni is cutting back on her weeknight work commitments to spend more time with her family.

“This decision has not come easy for me, but with two young children, I want to be home more often in the evenings for them.”

Mike says the feelings were mutual.

“This was particularly important to me personally to honour what has been one of the best combinations on television,” he said.

Hosking, like many media ‘personalities’, are not shy to praise themselves.

“That given we started together we end together. It is also always good to leave on your own terms and at your own time, often a rare trick in media.”

John Gillespie, TVNZ’s Head of News and Current Affairs, said the company was working through potential opportunities with Mike for the future.

“Toni and Mike are stepping down tomorrow night. They’re a dynamic and great team and together they’ve made a big difference for viewers and TVNZ. Their leadership at 7pm has been a defining force in our media landscape.”

More media self praise, somewhat embellished. Leadership? Leaders of the trite and banal perhaps, that’s the direction media seems to view it’s salvation as growing numbers of people desert broadcast television.

1 News managed to select some praise of the two people changing jobs ‘A great duo’ – Viewers react to news Mike Hosking and Toni Street leaving Seven Sharp.

Friday night’s programme will be their last, the pair announced at the end of tonight’s show.

It was a show, largely entertainment. For some – I just didn’t watch what wasn’t my style of programme.

But Hosking has been a polarising figure in politics. He has capably conducted election debates, but on shows and radion was seem by the left to be a right wing enemy, so attracted a lot of vitriol.

And on his announcement last night the hate flowed as freely as the praise.

A thread at The Standard included:

 Bye bye Mike…. from 7 Sharp…. And there is now dancing in the streets!

Good job. TVNZ have been a nest of right wing vipers for too long.

TVNZ is a neoliberal propaganda outlet.
It’s managers, editors and senior business and political staff all work towards the goal of disseminating such propaganda.

I agree. Comical Ali was more impartial than Hoskings.

Hosking was the propaganda wing for John Key

He’s also quite thick, has almost no education, and makes no effort to inform himself before one of his drunken rants.

Yep, Hosking is a toxic little twerp who hates Labour so screw him.

Typical ugliness in politics and media.

Similar on Reddit: Toni Street and Mike Hosking stepping down from Seven Sharp after four years co-hosting show

🎶 It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas 🎶

It’s the most wonderful time.. Of the yearrr

Now Mike can finally follow his dream of becoming a National MP! /s (god forbid)

Stepping down? They couldn’t possibly get any lower.

Four years too late.

Leighton gone, hosking on the way out, now we just need matthew hooten to join gloria vale and life will be so serene

now we just need Mark Richardson to contract some sort of disease that silences him

National gone. Hosking out. It’s like the country is waking from a boomer-centric lapel tweaking nightmare.

Whenever I had the misfortune of seeing these clowns on TV I always felt sorry for Toni. If I had seen her in isolation I would have just dismissed her as the vapid bint that she is. Mike has a powerful effect.

There is so much good news this week in terms of NZ becoming a progressive country again Im struggling to know where to look! I wish them both well in their personal lives and Toni in her future endeavours….but Hosking you are a selfish, biased and regressive prick who has no place in public broadcasting…please piss off from NZ media forever you are not needed in this country.

The intolerance, immaturity and toxicity prevalent on many online forums is something that will likely continue.

It’s a shame but we seem to live in an increasingly childish, trivialised and abusive society.

An online opportunity for more free speech serves to highlight, time and time again, the ugly side of human communication.

 

117 Comments
by Pete George on 15th December 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in Blogs, Media, Social Media
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Posted by Pete George on 15th December 2017

https://yournz.org/2017/12/15/praise-and-hate-after-hosking-and-street-announcement/

Appalling non-apology from Hosking, TVNZ

On Seven Sharp last night Mike Hosking upset the Māori Party with a comment on voting. He said to co-presenter Toni Street:

“You can’t vote for the Māori Party because you’re not enrolled on the Maori electorate”.

That appears to be incorrect, or at least misleading, because you can party vote for any party, including the Māori Party.

The Maori Party complained in a media statement:

Māori Party co-leaders
Te Ururoa Flavell and Marama Fox
24 August, 2017

Ill-informed Hosking needs to learn the rules

Māori Party co-leaders Te Ururoa Flavell and Marama Fox are questioning the ability of TVNZ presenter Mike Hosking to host any election debates after his major blunder on Seven Sharp last night.

Mr Flavell says he was disappointed by Mr Hosking’s ill-informed comments last night when the Seven Sharp host said people on the general roll can’t give their party vote to the Māori Party.

“He is just plain incompetent – pure and simple. How can Mr Hosking host a debate on the election when he clearly has no idea on an issue around the party vote?

“The Māori Party has been a registered political party since July 2004. You can vote ‘party vote Māori Party’ whether you are on the General or Māori Roll and anyone and everyone can give their party vote to the Māori Party,” says Ms Fox.

“How can it take more than 13 years for the media to understand you don’t have to be Māori to vote Māori Party? Those on the Māori roll get the extra bonus of being able to vote for the Māori Party in the electorate as well.

“The information Mr Hosking gave out last night was misleading and irresponsible. He should do his homework,” says Ms Fox.

“It’s important to give the public the correct information, keep the voters informed and having a person who is so ill-informed hosting the debates is amateur.”

Mr Flavell says the show’s producers have agreed to highlight the mistake and a correction will be aired tonight.

“But frankly the damage has been done. You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. There will be some who watched last night’s show, who don’t watch it tonight,” Mr Flavell says.

TVNZ stated:

“We will make a clarification on tonight’s show to clear up any confusion. We advised the Māori Party that we would be setting the record straight on tonight’s show a couple of hours before they issued their media release.”

Tonight Hosking said at some stage through the ‘show’ (not at the start):

“Small clarification for you.

“Now last night in a throw-away line I appear to have confused the Māori Party around the rules of voting in MMP.

“What I was suggesting, what I was meaning, was that the Maori Party, as their representation stands, is an electorate party.

That’s incorrect. The Māori Party has one electorate MP (Flavell) and one list MP (Marama Fox).

“In other words they are only in Parliament because they won an electorate seat. Therefore what I said in referring to voting for them was to vote for them in a Maori electorate you had to be on the Māori roll, which is true.

“Now the fact that anyone can vote for them as a list party I automatically assumed we all knew, given we’ve been doing it for 20 years for goodness sake and it went without saying.

“So hopefully that clears all of that up.”

That’s an appalling non-clarification and non-apology. The only thing it clears up is how badly Hosking has handled it.

He is sort of correct, you can only give an electorate vote for the Māori Party in an electorate they are standing in, and they only stand candidates in Maori electorates. But he explained that very poorly.

And he hasn’t apologised at all for his misleading statement last night, and he hasn’t explained that anyone on any roll can party vote for the Māori Party.

Hosking has made things worse for himself and for TVNZ.

For this Hosking deserves to be dumped from leaders’ debates – at least from the small party leaders’ debate that the Maori party will participate in.

23 Comments
by Pete George on 24th August 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in Media, Politics
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Posted by Pete George on 24th August 2017

https://yournz.org/2017/08/24/appalling-non-apology-from-hosking/

The Hosking petition

There has already been discussion here about the petition directed at TVNZ to ‘GET RID OF HOSKING’.

I don’t like watching Mike Hosking on Seven Sharp so I hardly ever watch him or any of the show.

Anyone has a right to start up a petition about anything they choose, but I think that campaigns to try and force television presenters out of their jobs is stupid. If I thought it might be an effective way to shut down voices that people didn’t like I would condemn it as anti-free speech.

But the petition is just as likely to boost interest in Seven Sharp and Hosking so he and TVNZ may actually benefit.

Petitioning Minster of Broadcasting NZ Hon Amy Adams MP and 3 others

Get Rid of Hosking

GET RID OF HOSKING. [ It is our opinion ] TVNZ broadcaster Mike Hosking is an offensive and thoughtless media personality who continues to arrogantly and ignorantly disregard the struggles of everyday New Zealander’s. Hosking’s attitude and comments continuously cause offense, upset and disdain to reasonable and innocent people ; both viewers and non-viewers of TVNZ. Supporters of GET RID OF HOSKING expect that TVNZ acts as a responsible and mature public broadcaster and respects this request from thousands of New Zealanders – That is –  We no longer wish to see or hear any more from Hosking on our TV screens.

This petition will be delivered to:
  • Minster of Broadcasting NZ
    Hon Amy Adams MP
  • TVNZ
    Kevin Kenrick CEO and Jeff Latch Director of Content TVNZ
  • Broadcasting Standards Authority
    Broadcasting Standards Authority
  • ASB BANK Executive General Manager Marketing & Communications at ASB
    ASB BANK – Roger Beaumont

There are currently 18,115 supporters.

I guess it’s ok that the petition is aimed at TVNZ. It’s up to them whether they take any notice of it.

Although it depends on to what extent pressure is put on TVNZ to dump a presenter. If it goes to the extent of a campaign to boycott TVNZ I would be concerned.

A similar campaign was waged against TV3 over their axing of John Campbell. That appeared to affect their ratings, which in turn could impact on their viability.

I would be disturbed if a TV company or public broadcaster was shut down because of campaigns against them. This would significantly reduce options for free speech.

Why has the Minister been included? I would be appalled if a Minister intervened in TVNZ decisions on how presents their shows.

Why is the Broadcasting Standards Authority included? I would be appalled if they tried to tell TVNZ who they should or shouldn’t have as presenters.

The ANZ Bank being included has an insidious angle. Attacking a major sponsor could potentially have a significant effect on the financial viability of part of TVNZ’s operation.

A couple of contrasting blog views on this.

Kiwiblog: The haters of freedom of speech

I’m tempted to call these people cultural fascists.

First of all do they really think the bloody Government should decide who is and is not allowed to appear on television as a broadcaster?

Secondly they seem to hate views they disagree with, and want Hosking gone because he says things they don’t like.

I think NZ is better when it has diversity of views on air – I think it is good both Hosking and Campbell are broadcasters.

But these cultural fascists hate views that are not their own, and think the Government should decide who is allowed to be on air. They can get f****d.

The Standard: Dirty Politics Farrar and freedom of speech

In another fine example of the Streisand effect, poor wee Dirty Politics Farrar doesn’t like it.

Not being one for self-reflection, DPF hates views that are not his own and thinks they shouldn’t be expressed. Or perhaps he just doesn’t understand what free speech is.

It’s good that both Farrar and ‘Natwatch’ have the freedom to speak about this as they see fit.

Should Mike Hosking be shut up because many of us don’t like what he says? I don’t think so.

Who is Dan Wayman? He is a lawyer, sometimes from Wellington. Stuff has some information on him and his motives:

Wayman, who describes himself as a New Zealand-enrolled barrister-solicitor who divides his time between New Zealand and Shanghai, where he works at the British Consulate, says he started the petition because he “just felt something needed to be done really”.

“[Hosking’s] socially irresponsible comments are damaging to the New Zealand public, and especially as the face of the national broadcaster in the 7pm timeslot, being a family show, I think it’s harmful for the next generation to receive those types of sentiments from Mr Hosking.”

Seven Sharp is a family show? I can’t imagine that many young people would watch it. An increasing number of young people watch little or no broadcast television.

Wayman said comments made by Hosking over the crowdfunding purchase of the Awaroa beach and over the New Zealand flag debate as examples of why the broadcaster should be removed from TVNZ.

Wayman said: “It’s the constant lack of empathy and dismissive comments of New Zealanders struggling, even following stories on Seven Sharp – he just does not get it, and I think it’s harmful.”

“The ultimate goal is to have a more appropriate face on the national broadcaster in the 7pm slot,” he says. “That’s the ultimate goal. I’m not worried about his radio career, but I think the platform that he’s got (with Seven Sharp) – he’s not the right person for that platform.”

TVNZ said:

“We welcome feedback on our programmes, which we get in the form of daily audience ratings, quantitative and qualitative market research, and direct feedback from viewers. Given we engage with around 2.5 million New Zealanders per day, we typically get a broad range of views expressed about our on-air and online content. There are a number of viewing options.Seven Sharp is the most watched show at 7pm.”

There are a number of viewing and doing options at 7 pm Dan. As a lawyer don’t you value free choice and free speech?

46 Comments
by Pete George on 23rd June 2016  •  Permalink
Posted in General, Media
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Posted by Pete George on 23rd June 2016

https://yournz.org/2016/06/23/the-hosking-petition/

Psst, pass it round

Martyn Bradbury is asking social media to pass around the news about his “new progressive current affairs show”.

Pssst – there’s a new progressive current affairs show about to start 7pm weekdays to go up against Story and 7 Sharp

Pssst – TDB whanau – there’s a new progressive current affairs show about to start 7pm weekdays to go up against Story and 7 Sharp but it’s only going to succeed if you who want an alternative pass it around and share it on social media.

More details soon, but start the word now

This appears to be more about trying to stick it to the media man rather than coming up with a forward looking media format.

10847557_424207824413691_2902545023576850790_o-600x366

I’m not sure we will get any more of a good balanced idea of what is going in this country from Martyn Media. We shall see.

He gets some support from Clemgeopin:

Great idea. Looking forward to it. Make it interesting and informative. Be prepared for the attacks from the big media corporates, the right wing rogues and the RW blogs.

I don’t think the big media corporates will care much about it.

Mary_A:

A big thumbs up for a courageous move to get the truth out there to the people. The beginning of the winds of change in visual media alternative news delivery. A definite positive.

Visual media alternative news delivery has been in the midst of a hurricane of change for yonks.

Judy Johannessen:

Looking forward to some unbiased reporting.

I look forward to seeing if that’s possible from a Bradbury enterprise.

An alternative view from Im Right (presumed apostrophe crimes –  ‘Im or I’m?).

Its the only media work you can get Martyn, internet and your own show, TV/Radio dont want to know you as you represent a tiny minority of marxist far left subvertives. Im sure your new show will all be about Key=evil, National the same, and each episode TTP bad etc etc. Good luck though, as long as my tax dollar isnt giving you a platform, its all good.

It’s good that in modern New Zealand private enterprise media is free to have a go. Whether Martyn Media makes much of an impact will be seen soon – he has indicated they will be starting up this week.

I’m curious and prepared to give it a go and see what it’s like.

35 Comments
by Pete George on 8th February 2016  •  Permalink
Posted in Blogs, Media
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Posted by Pete George on 8th February 2016

https://yournz.org/2016/02/08/psst-pass-it-round/

Sanity prevails

After a couple of weeks of escalating incursions and disruption here from certain parties it looks like sanity has prevailed, for now at least.

Perhaps it finally dawned on them what damage they were doing to their own cases.

It was interesting that after a bit of a frenzy on Monday Spanish Bride posted at Whale Oil on Tuesday about how moderation wasn’t working here. I think it worked ok a number of numpties attempting to disrupt and compromise this site. Your NZ kept operating, unlike Whale Oil when at times they have claimed to be under attack and have been unloadable.

Something interesting was pointed out last night after someone linked to an interview of Cameron Slater by Heather du Plessis-Allan shown in July last year on Seven Sharp.

Note that this was the month before Nicky Hager launched Dirty Politics and Slater’s world and probaly his contact list changed substantially.

Intro: Recently the Prime Minister told us where he gets some of his gossip from, one of the most controversial bloggers around. John Key and the guy known as Whale Oil apparently chat on the phone.

Apparently that is now history.

You may remember Whale Oil as the man who kept breaking name suppression orders or indeed revealed those details, remember this he revealed all the details about Len Brown and his penchant for the Ngati Whatui room.

So what’s the PM doing talking to him? Well Heather du Plessis-Allan found out he’s actually a changed man, sort of.

HPDA: I wouldn’t want to get on your bad side, I tell ya that.

Slater: That’s a very wise thing, you know you should put that, you know, you should put that in the show, now I don’t want to get on your bad side.

HDPA: Cam Slater has powerful friends.

Shots of Slater’s phone list were shown:

SlaterPhoneContacts1

There’s some familiar names there.

HPDA: Judith Collins. Patrick Gower. Ooh, Paul Henry. Very nice.

SlaterContactList2

HPDA: These are just his favourites, you know the ones he calls all the time.

He won’t be on the Favourites list of some of those names any more, including John Key given the amount of complaining Slater has done since about being cut adrift since he became politically toxic.

One or two of those at least would appear to be still working with Slater.

DISCLOSURE: I have never been on Slater’s unfavoured list let alone his favourite list.

The only list of is I’ve been on is his hit list, having got on his bad side around about when this interview was done actually, and he seems to hold grudges for quite a while.

He and his associates have chosen to “fuck over” (a term [Deleted as per court order]seems to like) many people. It was inevitable that eventually some of them would fight back.

Something else was raised here recently – a term Slater has often repeated about wrestling with pigs, like.

Politics ulimately is akin to wrestling with pigs. Two things are absolutely certain when wrestling with pigs, you’re going to get dirty and the pig will enjoy it. I suggest it is time for the Libertians of our nation to get a little bit dirty and learn to wrestle with pigs. Then we can truly get some of their fine ideals into the mix.

Slater only seems to know one way, doing politics the dirty way. It doesn’t have to be that way, and in my opinion it shouldn’t be.

If don’t allow political pigs to drag you into their mire they end up wallowing in their mud on their own.

If you fight them on your own terms using sunlight and a cleansing of the muck they don’t know how to deal with it. They seem unable to function without mud on their hands. Alongside rancid bacon on their plate they end up with egg on their faces.

Sanity can prevail if you don’t let them drag you down into their mud, and if you allow them to reveal themselves for what they are.

38 Comments
by Pete George on 26th November 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 26th November 2015

https://yournz.org/2015/11/26/sanity-prevails/

BSA smacks Hosking’s hand, sort of

The Broadcasting Standards Authority has upheld four complaints against Mike Hosking but did not make any order, meaning this amounts to criticism without consequences.

Stuff: BSA rules against Mike Hosking

In April this year, a waitress said that she took offence to Key repeatedly tugging her ponytail when he came into the cafe she worked at.

Broadcaster Mike Hosking covered the topic at the time on the television programme Seven Sharp.

He said the waitress’ motivations for speaking out were “selfish” and “a puffed up self-involved pile of political bollocks”.

He also said the café owners were the “victims” of the situation.

He said: “To quote the waitress concerned today, ‘I felt New Zealand should know’. What a puffed up, self-involved pile of political bollocks. She had a problem at work. The owners were the people to consult, not a blogger.”

The Authority upheld the complaints that these comments were unfair to the waitress.

the Authority said the nature of this segment meant there was no opportunity for any response or defence to be given.

They also said that while public figures can be subjected to this sort of criticism, the waitress was not a public figure and should not have been scrutinised as such.

“[A] person who is not a public figure should be able to speak up and make assertions whether they are right or wrong without being treated unfairly and in an intimidatory way by a television presenter speaking from the platform of a powerful broadcaster”, the Authority said.

The Authority held publication of the decision was sufficient to mark the breach and did not make any order.

Hosking could do the decent thing and apologise on Seven Sharp tonight.

7 Comments
by Pete George on 30th September 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on 30th September 2015

https://yournz.org/2015/09/30/bsa-smacks-hoskings-hand-sort-of/

“Teen in coma for 57 days needs legal access to cannabis oil”

Seven Sharp had an item on Alex Renton, the 19 year old who had a major seizure and has been in a coma in Wellington Hospital for 57 days. So far treatment has been unsuccessful, and his life is at risk.

His family want to be able to try using cannabis oil (CBD) which has been successful in reducing seizures in some cases.

Today, two weeks after a recommendation from Alex’s neurologist that CBD be tried, the Wellington DHB has put in an application with the Minister of Health requesting approval to be able to use it.

TVNZ News only seems to have this available online via this video; “Teen in coma for 57 days needs legal access to cannabis oil”

Mike Hosking: On a day where we found out that the courts weren’t in a position to help Lecretia Seales, what did the judge say, it’s really only Parliament’s job who can do that, we want to introduce you to a young man who has a similar vexed battle on his hands.

Nineteen year old Alex Renton, he’s been in a coma for fifty seven days with a mystery illness.

Nadine: The drugs haven’t fixed him but his family is holding out hope, because they believe Alex’s saviour could be cannabis oil. Problem is it’s illegal. So could a law change in this case save a life?

It’s use is allowed with the approval of the Minister of Health, according to the NZ Drug Foundation:

@PeteDGeorge @metiria The law doesn’t actually need changing. The minister right now could simply give approval… if he/she wishes.

Jehancasinader: (voice over video of his family celebrating Alex’s birthday in hospital):  Alex never expected to celebrate his nineteenth birthday in a coma. The pair of shows a present from Mum, for the day she hopes he’ll walk out of here.

Alex was as fit as a fiddle, until one seizure tipped his life upside down.

Alex’s doctors are stumped, their diagnosis uncertain. Meanwhile his brain is inflamed, and rocked by constant seizures.

Alex’s family believes there’s one last hope.  Cannabis. It’s illegal of course, but advocates say the oil can fire up neurons in the brain.

Rose (Alex’s mother): We’ve been offered the oil from overseas, clinically tested oil.

The oil is extracted from special strains of the cannabis plant that are very low in the intoxicant THC.

Jehancasinader: Last year we showed you how desperate Aussie families have relied on it to save their kids lives. It needs special approval. Rose says hospital officials are dragging the chain.

Rose: They seem to be frightened.

Jehancasinader: Until now Rose says drugs haven’t been a part of Alex’s life.

Rose: This isn’t about recreational marijuana, this is about medicine.

Jehancasinader:  Now Alex is being given Ketamine.

Rose: They choose to pour chemicals into him, but they will not choose a natural herb extract.

Jehancasinader: Rose believes time is running out for her boy.

Rose: A petition of twenty five thousand people have supported this treatment for Alex, and still we wait, he waits, because one hospital thinks they know better.

Mike Hosking: Jeez it’s been a tough day in so many respects hasn’t it Jehan, even to you, you’re with us live, just tell us how is Alex doing and what seems to be the hold up, what seems to be the problem here.

Jehancasinader: Well Mike I visited Alex here at Wellington Hospital late last night with his Mum. It was pretty tough actually seeing him lying in that bed unable to move and unable to talk.

Now you heard Rose saying that story that she believes the hospital has been dragging the chain on this, and we have the proof tonight.

The Ministry of Health says that it still hasn’t even received an application from the hospital for this cannabis treatment to be given to Alex.

Now this is two whole weeks after the neurologist said look we really need to look at this as an option. He is deteriorating.

Now within the past hour I finally heard from the DHB and they’ve confirmed that today they’ve decided to put that application in to the Minister of Health. He will have the final say on whether the cannabis treatment is granted and meanwhile Alex is spending his fifty seventh night in that hospital behind me.

Associate Minister of Health Peter Dunne will now have responsibility for this decision.

7 Comments
by Pete George on 6th June 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in Medical Cannabis
Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Pete George on 6th June 2015

https://yournz.org/2015/06/06/teen-in-coma-for-57-days-needs-legal-access-to-cannabis-oil/

Hope for Alex Renton

Some hope for Alex Renton – or at least for his family, who have been watching over him in a coma for 57 days now.

Stuff reported recently: Family’s desperate quest for cannabis oil 

Nelson teen Alex Renton was hospitalised in early April after a serious seizure. He has been in an induced coma in Wellington’s intensive care unit since April 8.

Alex remains in ‘status epilepticus’, a kind of prolonged seizure.

With a recommendation from one of Alex’s neurologists, his family are now keen to try something new – a cannabinoid oil (CBD) extracted from marijuana that international research has endorsed as a treatment for seizures. But accessing the oil, even with the support of a neurologist, has proved nearly impossible.

This was covered on Seven Sharp tonight. They said the problem was inaction by the DHB, who need to submit a request to use CBD to the Ministry of Health.

They have also said that the DHB agreed today to submit a request to the Ministry of Health. Once they get that in it will be up to the Ministry and Peter Dunne as Associate Minister of Health as it’s his responsibility.

Cannabis oil isn’t guaranteed to be successful, one report was that it gave a 30% chance of improvement.  But for Alex and his family any chance is better than what they are having to endure at the moment.

9 Comments
by Pete George on 5th June 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in Medical Cannabis
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Posted by Pete George on 5th June 2015

https://yournz.org/2015/06/05/hope-for-alex-renton/

Seven Sharp’s stink perception

Seven Sharp ran an item last night ‘revealing’ that Peter Dunne’s son James is a legal representative for the legal high industry. They promoted it as an exclusive.

This is covered well by Karol at The Standard in Father & son: Dunne deals?

Seven Sharp said at the least there is an appearance of conflict of interest.

I had already noticed that a James Dunne was representing the legal high industry and presumed there was either a family connection oe it was a coincidence, but I didn’t think it mattered.

Peter Dunne can’t instruct his son what he should or shouldn’t do in his professional capacity. James Dunne can’t instruct his father on what he does in Parliament.

One thing pointed out by Seven Sharp was James Dunne’s promotion on his company profile:

valuable inside knowledge of how Parliament works in New Zealand

Obviously in some ways he will have a very good insight into how Parliament works, his father has been an MP all his life, but he could have worded this much better.

My biggest issue with this is with Seven Sharp. They have promoted it as big news:

Peter Dunne and Legal Highs Son

An exclusive on the link between a Peter Dunne and the man fighting against his crackdown on legal highs.

And as Karol says they “claim that at the least there is an appearance of conflict of interest.”

That’s because they have created that appearance and highlighted it as significant news. They have provided no evidence at all to make it any more than a manufactured perception. If they had said nothing there would be little or no public perception.

TVNZ have tried to create news out of nothing of substance. This is stink journalism.

And as some of the comments at The Standard show, it has initiated a bout of stink politics.

4 Comments
by Pete George on 16th April 2014  •  Permalink
Posted in Politics
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Posted by Pete George on 16th April 2014

https://yournz.org/2014/04/16/seven-sharps-stink-perception/

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