We have previously reported on the digital campaign side-project of Taxpayers’ Union’s Jordan Williams – The Campaign Company. It has a client list that reads like an Atlas Network membership list: big tobacco, fringe farmers looking to avoid regulation, right-wing politicians, and well-funded racists looking to undermine Māori aspirations. This won’t surprise readers who already know Williams is a creature of the Atlas Network. “My first experience with Atlas [was when] I did something called the Think Tank MBA, an incredible programme. They picked me up, took me to Fairfax, Virginia”
Hobson’s Pledge – well known for their anti-Māori positions – have engaged the Campaign Company for their latest attack on Māori. The domain name for the campaign was registered in May by The Campaign Company. The accompanying digital campaign is presumably being managed by them also.
The campaign first came to light when the Herald’s 7 August newspaper edition featured a wraparound ad that urged readers to sign a petition to return the seabed and foreshore to “public ownership” – a concept described by one Māori legal expert as “…incredibly misleading, inaccurate and clearly designed to whip up anti-Māori sentiment.” 175 members of the legal community have subsequently penned an open letter calling out what they say is a “misleading” advertisement.
Owner of The Herald, NZME has announced they are reviewing their advertising policies in the wake of the public backlash.
The Campaign Company has done similar work for Hobson’s Pledge in the past.
The Free Speech union also issued a statement which said: “NZME is a publicly-listed private company. They ultimately have the right to reject this advertising. But they deserve strong criticism for this decision, and it’s not surprising that shareholders raise questions as to why good money is being rejected on ideological grounds”. Readers may recall that the Free Speech Union is another astroturf organisation, created one wet weekend by some disgruntled Taxpayers’ Union staffers, and they have been defending the rights of white supremacists and other assorted bigots ever since.
Just days later it was revealed in leaked meeting notes that Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith had reassured seafood industry representatives in a private meeting (also in May) that the coalition government would “reduce the 100 percent of coastline subject to Customary Marine Title to 5 percent”.
So we have two astroturf organisations, both with origins in the billionaire-funded Atlas Network helping to spread acceptance of a blatantly anti-Māori policy planned by the right-wing government.