The Internet Party founder drops a few more hints about his September 15 rally at Auckland Town Hall, during which he says he will drop a "bombshell" on the Prime Minister.
UPDATE / Sept 11: Not wishing to bang on about the Giant German's Monday event too much, but there was an interesting little exchange on Twitter this morning – and one in which Internet Party brand manager Andy Pickering seemed to concede Dotcom's "Moment of Truth" rally Auckland Town Hall rally might not live up to the hype.
Herald editor-in-chief Tim Murphy tweeted: "All the buildup for Dotcom's 'Moment of Truth' risks it being like cyclone and weather bombs alerts that end up just a bit messy and wet."
Surprisingly, Internet Party brand manager Andy Pickering didn't disagree, replying, "Maybe. But the chance to hear Glenn Greenwald's perspective in person is quite intriguing I reckon."
Maybe if there's not much of a bombshell to drop on John Key, Greenwald could fill in the time asking fellow guest speaker Julian Assange about Ecuador's track record with human rights and media censorship.
'Sordid workings of Hollywood' to feature at Dotcom's 'Moment of Truth' event
Sept 9: The Internet Party has dropped a few more hints about its September 15 rally at Auckland Town Hall, during which founder Kim Dotcom says he will drop a "bombshell" on the Prime Minister.
While Dotcom has earlier framed the event in terms of whether Prime Minister John Key knew about the raid on his mansion before he has publicly acknowledged, an email to media this morning points to a wider focus.
Revelations about "the sordid workings of Hollywood" are promised.
The rumour doing the rounds is that evidence will be presented of John Key telling Hollywood executives that Kim Dotcom will be granted NZ residency — the better to make him easier to extradite to the US (Dotcom has long alleged our government granted him residency for that reason — most recently as a messy, inconclusive SIS email thread emerged and then-Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman denied political pressure). Some versions of this story say a video is involved in which the PM does a Harawira-esque amount of swearing.
Another rumour is that the revelation will be based around the fact the PM (or is that his office?) hands everyone who settles in his electorate a "Welcome to Helensville" brochure, so Key must have handed Dotcom one. That would be pretty lame.
I've been wondering three things.
1. Whether Dotcom's "bombshell" will look more like a fizzer next to the various Dirty Politics revelations (not that those seem to have dented National or John Key's popularity, however much credence you give them. Judith Collins scalp has been claimed but for an alleged scandal that Nicky Hager's book barely touches on. I digress). Indirect allegations just won't have much cut-through for a Hager-jaded public.
2. If Dotcom does come up with a black-and-white, clear-cut scandal, will middle New Zealand care? Especially if it's involving something far-from-home as a Hollywood power play? A lot of the kids in the Internet Party's favoured demographic already assume Key is lying. And I suspect many who support mainstream parties also already assume the PM told a number of white lies about the giant German.
Similarly, with Five Eyes and the GCSB, we've already been there and done that. Disturbing acusations have been made, and I think probably a majority believe spy agencies have been overly intrusive — but for better or worse, the issue hasn't resonated.
Like Internet Party leader Laila Harre, I'm in the dark about the contents of Dotcom's bombshell. But I think it's going to have to be pretty big — in the public's mind, not his — to move the needle. And if it does, will it benefit Internet Mana or another party?
3. If the bombshell at this Internet Party-organised event relates to Dotcom's extradition case, could it look a little too All About Kim? There have been rumblings that tying everything back to the Megauplaod case undermines more serious discussion about copyright, security and privacy issues. As Internet Mana candidate Georgina Beyer said of Dotcom, "His reasons for becoming involved in New Zealand politics in the way he has is one of retribution against people who he feels have slighted him."
Meanwhile, we have to endure Dotcom's Winston Peters-style slow tease about his upcoming revelations. Some would call that old-school politics at its worst.
Winston's big build-ups have sometimes had a punch line, and sometimes fallen flat. Answers on Monday when all eyes will be on Dotcom — just as he likes it.
RAW DATA: Internet Party email
THE MOMENT OF TRUTH IS ALMOST HERE …
Monday, September 15: The day New Zealand and the world finds out what John Key, the National Government and Hollywood don’t want you to know.
Join Kim Dotcom, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Glenn Greenwald, international human rights lawyer Robert Amsterdam and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange at 7pm on Monday, September 15 at the Auckland Town Hall for The Moment of Truth – an event that will present vital information to voters about Prime Minister John Key, the National Government and the sordid workings of Hollywood ahead of the general election.
The elite panel of guests and experts will lift the lid on the New Zealand Government’s involvement in spying, mass surveillance and more at this unprecedented event.
