Full house for Hager book talk
With the nation still processing the revelations from his new book, Nicky Hager went for an evening coffee in Nelson.
The release of the investigative journalist’s latest book, Hit & Run, occurred one day before he was due to speak at the monthly meeting of Nelson’s Spirited Conversations group at its regular venue, Yaza Cafe.
Despite a busy schedule of media interviews since the book’s launch in Wellington on Tuesday, Hager was able to make yesterday evening’s event for further engagement in the top of the south.
About 100 people crammed into the small venue and by the 7.30pm start time it was standing room only.
The original agreement was that Hager would talk about issues he felt most strongly about in 2017.
Under different circumstances this would have been housing in NZ, a topic Hager called ‘‘a national, social and political crime’’.
However, with the Hit & Run finished and launched, Hager was able to discuss the issues raised in the book, which he co-authored with war correspondent Jon Stephenson.
‘‘If the book hadn’t been out, you weren’t going to hear about it ... but history unwound differently,’’ he said.
The New Zealand Government and Defence Force is yet to confirm whether any further action would follow in light of the allegations.
But, Hager was encouraged by former defence minister Wayne Mapp’s admission of Afghan casualties during the raid, including a three-year-old girl.
‘‘Already we’re seeing that consensus of denial, in the face of so much factual information, is crumbling down, and people will now have to decide where they stand on that.’’
Hager outlined the process of collecting information and writing the book, which began with one of his sources approaching him after a speaking engagement.
His primary motivation in life was driven by a faith in humanity, which he tried to put into his writing, he said.
‘‘The goodness of people is often just suppressed because they don’t know what’s going on.’’
Hit & Run has garnered swift and immediate interest from both the public and political figures.
It alleges six Afghan civilians were killed in a botched 2010 NZled SAS raid.
The action was taken in response to the death of Lieutenant Tim O’Donnell from a roadside bomb in 2010.
According to the book, as well as the the six civilians deaths 15 were injured.
None of the intended insurgent targets were found.
Hager reiterated the importance of journalists in seeking answers by looking beyond face value explanations.
‘‘Politicians and other people in power become very comfortable and complacent about being able to say a few words of spin, get it recorded and have it played on the next news cycle,’’ he said.
‘‘That complacency is based on real experience where they don’t get enough questions and no-one comes back to them with a follow up.
‘‘They need to be in a position where they have to make some uncomfortable decisions about whether they want to keep telling lies.’’
Rev David Pountney of Spirited Conversations said it was thrilled to have Hager return to speak.
As with previous Hager releases, Hit & Run was published by Nelson company Potton and Burton.
- Girl among victims, page 4.