Dirty tricks are afoot in the war against 1080 use in New Zealand.
“Someone based in New Zealand” has been left with egg on their face after allegedly sending an email to the director of the AMRISTA Film network trying to “persuade” the festival organisers not to show the Graf brothers Poisoning Paradise documentary about the use of 1080 in NZ. Unfortunately the ruse backfired and the Graf brothers were sent a copy of it.
Details of the attempted coup are presented on the GrafBoys weblog, from which the following extracts are taken. This is the email in which the self confessed “very disturbed” author managed to do his/her own “dredging up”: an old, spent conviction of one of the brothers: (note: words in italics within the emails are our comments)
“To: director@swanseafilmfestival.com
Subject: Poisoning Paradise is propagandaDear Director
I was very disturbed to read recently that Poisoning Paradise, a film by Clyde and Steve Graf of New Zealand , is to be shown at your festival. I am concerned that audiences unfamiliar with the issue in New Zealand would not recognise this film for what it is – a blatantly biased piece of propaganda paid for by the deer hunting lobby.
The film (it would be very wrong to call this a documentary) is also made by deer hunters, one of whom has been convicted of armed robbery. The very few so-called ‘experts’ that the brothers dredge up have no scientific standing in New Zealand . The ‘research’ is not peer reviewed and goes against all other scientific research in New Zealand (see the first link below).
Despite all their efforts, and financial backing, none of the television networks (public and private) in New Zealand have agreed to screen it for the reasons listed above. (ed. now why is that?) I believe that screening this rubbish would only lend credibility to these characters, and would reflect very badly on what looks like a fine festival that you run. (ed. toadying, an adult is writing this?)
1080 is actually a critical tool in the battle to protect New Zealand ’s beloved native flora and fauna from introduced pests, and one that we cannot do without.
I have posted some links below that may be of interest and there is plenty more material that can be found.
I would appreciate it if you let me know what you decide to do on this matter.
Kind regards
Rxxxxxx Cxxxxxx”
(links are displayed on the Grafboys blog)
Fortunately the recipient of this miserable missive recognised it for what it was and stuck to their decision to show the film. They also allegedly copied the Grafs into their response:
“Attention: Rxxxxx Cxxxxxx. (Name removed to protect identity of writer)
Our decision to screen this documentary film within the AMRITSA Film Festival network has been made and will NOT be reversed.
AMRITSA Film Festivals are dedicated to and based upon the right of the free expression of opinion. (ed. so he noticed that the film wasn’t shown on TV networks in NZ?)
This ‘right’ is one which we will hold to fast and maintain in the interest of debate.
Should YOU and or YOUR organisation (ed. does this mean ‘R C’ was writing on behalf of an employer in an official capacity?) wish to present an alternative point of view to that contained within ‘Poisoning Paradise’ then we suggest you submit a ‘film’ and it would be considered for screening.
Thanks for writing
AA”
We here at E2NZ applaud that response and we wait for the “organisation” to produce its own film.
Any worldwide, legitimate debate over the aerial use of 1080 in New Zealand,
a country that has long traded on its ‘100% Pure‘ image yet is the world’s largest user of the deadly poison, can only be welcomed.
It will also give us a clue about the identity of this “organisation”. As Rolf may say “have you guessed who it is yet?”
For our many other posts about terrible effects of aerial 1080 use in New Zealand please see those posts tagged ‘1080‘ – link
Our readers may also be interested to read about the debacle over the editing/censorship of the 1080 page on Wikipedia in which references to the video were removed.
Today’s posts – click here
E2NZ.org 
Never be clean & green until 1080 has been stopped.
How many people deaths , due to 1080 poisoning have been recorded? Hidden under the carpet.
The health risks are phenomenal.
Cancer rate is the highest in the world.
Regarding the rare cancers, this is absolutely true, according to some foreign doctors we knew socially in New Zealand, who after first discerning my general appraisal of the country, confided this very fact to me. Many rare cancers from all the chemicals they use. Pretty ballsy to call the place ‘pure’. Considering the Asia-Pacific area, NZ is third-worst after China and Mongolia for cancer, and considerably worse when compared to OECD countries. This ranking still did not reflect what the doctors had told me, until I dug around – what they do in NZ with their figures is that they “adjust for age” in “shaping” their cancer statistics, saying that because there are more old people in New Zealand than in other places being compared with it, that therefore they have to “adjust for this”, i.e. cut a wedge of old people out of the statistics to bring the rate down so that it looks more like the age structure of other countries. I don’t know of anywhere else they do that, but they do the same kind of thing with the education and crime statistics: namely, cherrypick a certain picture to show the world (always more positive, obviously) and claim that THAT is representative of New Zealand. When it’s not at all the case.
Interesting comment there Progressive. None of us have hears of age adjustments being made in other countries either. This form of cherry picking merits further investigation, we all know how selective and creative NZ can be with its statistics.