Some strange goings-on in Southland
OPINION: There is a sinister side to the fake news phenomenon. And it was never going to be long before those in power exploited it.
Shooting the messenger has become a means to an end in itself – when trust in the media is at an all-time low, anything goes.
And anything goes is certainly how you would describe the extraordinary goings-on in Southland this week after a local reporter, Rachael Kelly, tried to find out what Clutha-Southland MP Todd Barclay had been up to since disappearing from public life last month.
Kelly and a local cameraman have been accused of intimidating and threatening behaviour, even being physically aggressive. These allegations were made at the highest levels, from the Prime Minister’s Office and by Parliamentary Service staff.
Problem is that it’s not true. Video footage shows what actually happened.
Kelly, accompanied by a cameraman, knocked on a door at Barclay’s Gore electorate office, where a receptionist came to speak to them. Kelly is well known to the staff at that office – Gore is her beat.
The pair were on the trail of a story that matters in their community. Barclay was forced to leave Parliament after police reopened an investigation into claims he covertly recorded his electorate office staff.
But rather than leave politics immediately, Barclay is staying on till September’s election, meaning he is still collecting his $165,000-a-year salary. There has been something of a local backlash over the fact Barclay has effectively gone to ground since then.
Kelly and the cameraman were in Barclay’s office for barely more than a minute. After being told the politician wasn’t at work, and checking that he hadn’t been there earlier that week, the reporter said thank you and the pair left. Watch it for yourself on Stuff.co.nz if you like.
Yet in conversations with the South Island editor-in-chief, Joanna Norris, it was alleged Kelly and her cameraman ‘‘barged’’ into Barclay’s office, then harassed and intimidated staff – even pursuing them to the back of the premises, making his employees feel threatened and under siege.
There was also a complaint about a [different] journalist shouting and abusing Barclay’s PR person over the phone. These allegations were made in phone conversations between Norris and a senior member of the prime minister’s staff, as well as by the head of Parliamentary Service, David Stevenson. Stevenson also dropped the bombshell that police were now involved.
However, both acknowledged after seeing the video that it was not as they had thought. They defended their interventions as being out of concern for the staff involved – employees who have had to front for Barclay in his absence.
But if Stuff had not produced video evidence, their claims would probably have stuck.
And that is the big worry. Not that the allegations were untrue – but because the effect would have been to shut down more questions. It would have likely helped turn local sympathy in Barclay’s direction as well.
This is an increasingly common way for politicians to deflect questions.
Attacking the behaviour and credibility of the journalist and their media organisation never fails to find a sympathetic ear, but it’s especially so now.
It’s not within the power of the prime minister or anyone else to force Barclay out of Parliament – previous bad egg cases like Taito Philip Field and Donna Awatere Huata are proof of that.
But it is within the prime minister’s power to compel Barclay to turn up for work.
There is clearly no appetite in National, however, for Barclay to show his face in Wellington again.
National would rather avoid the media circus, even if that means dealing with the low level irritation of questions from journalists about his excuse for not being there.
There is huge sensitivity about Bill English’s involvement in the whole sorry saga after his earlier botched handling of questions regarding what his knowledge of the situation.
Having Barclay back in Wellington would drag that all up again.
The Government is relying on the media eventually losing interest in Barclay’s repeated failure to show up for work. It also sees this as the sort of ‘‘beltway’’ issue that most voters will tune out.
Apparently, there is nothing about Barclay’s absence that can’t be smoothed away with a bit of political spin, it believes.
So if you ask the Government, Barclay is head down in his office, working hard on local issues.
The ‘‘Where’s Todd’’ campaign by local media has been countered, meanwhile, with the argument that of course Barclay has fronted to local media. Except that’s not true either.
Barclay answered questions about a local tourism announcement but insisted questions be emailed to him. A response was then emailed back via his spokeswoman.
We have no idea if he even had any input regarding those answers.
Questions about Barclay’s return to Parliament and whether he will co-operate with police remain unanswered.
That’s why Kelly and her cameraman turned up at his Gore office – to put the questions to Barclay in person.
Intentional or not, the reaction to their visit leaves an unpleasant taste in the mouth over whether it was an attempt to heavy the duo not to come back.