Nicky Hager's latest book, Dirty Politics has caused quite an upset amongst politicians and controversial resident Kim Dot Com, even typing that name makes me cringe. For those of you who aren't aware, Nicky Hager is an investigative journalist who has written several books in the past. He doesn't discriminate based on his own left wing politics.
He targeted National in 2006 in The Hollow Men, which was a look at party donations and who National typically appeals to.
Other books he's written include: Secret Power, a look into the GCSB released in 1996, Secrets and Lies written in 1999, 2002's Seeds of Distrust, The Hollow Men as I've mentioned in 2006 and Other People's Wars in 2011.
Yesterday Dirty Politics was released and although I have not yet read the book, I'm waiting for my copy which is completely sold out and on back order, it looks at the Whale Oil blog run by Cameron Slater and the inner workings of the National Party, particularly focusing on John Key and staff member Jason Ede.
The reaction has been mixed. Those on the right side of politics with clear links to National say the book is nothing more than a smear campaign designed to hurt National and those on the left are concerned about the issues raised, with the Green Party already saying they plan to take legal action against the National Party.
Regardless of your politics, this book is well worth the read and for some people to dismiss it simply because of who it is written by or the views of the writer is absurd. Books like this may upset those with a vested interest but they are essential for the democratic process. More often than not Hager delves into issues that New Zealand's mainstream media only touches on, and these books often have years of research go into them.
Once I've read the book in a few weeks time I will post a review on the content and any important issues it raises.
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