High Profile New Zealand Journalist And Cameraman Arrested

Article sent to FreeNZ on the events of 25th February 2023. By Debbie Swanwick

Liz Gunn, a non-government-sponsored journalist, and her cameraman, Jonathan Clark have been arrested at Auckland Airport. Gunn and Clark were attempting to interview friends - the Patelesio family - returning from Tokelau who has been under house arrest for a year for refusing the Covid vaccination. Their family, including a teenage daughter, have endured starvation and threats on their life for their stance against medical tyranny.

Gunn has interviewed the family many times, most recently on 14th February, and made many calls to action that people support their stance any way they could. The friendship between them has developed since the family’s incarceration. Ross Ardern, Jacinda Ardern's father, was the Administrator of Tokelau at the time the family was put under house arrest.

It was reported a ‘jumped up’ Auckland Airport security guard called the police after Gunn questioned why they were asked to stop filming (despite many families filming arrivals, including this arrival). Footage of others who filmed the arrival is now circulating on social media.

Police arrived quickly on the scene (not like the Hawkes Bay floods!) and the situation escalated, resulting in the FreeNZ camera being thrown to the ground and broken. A supporter who was trying to protect Liz picked up the camera but was forced to hand it to the police.

A police officer was seen man-handling Gunn and twisting her arm up her back. When she yelled in pain to him “You are hurting me”, he replied, “Good”.
There is evidence of his 'intent to harm'.

Clark has been charged with wilful trespass and resisting arrest but Gunn’s paperwork is missing in action.

Several Facebook comments after the incident claim that the arrests were made because it is illegal to film at Auckland airport.

The Auckland Airport website ’asks’ that you get permission from Auckland Airport to film for commercial purposes which are profit-making, and require that ten days working days notice is given to them. Gunn does not profit from her media site FreeNZ. A request is not legally binding - it is a mandate.

Indeed journalists from both the NZ Herald and Newshub ran stories last week, a few days after an event at Auckland Airport, featuring photos of Auckland Airport.

The Auckland International Airport Bylaws Approval Order 1989 states under section 6, in reference to Commercial Photography:

• (1). No person shall take photographs, film, or make a video recording within the airport for commercial purposes or profit unless that person is—
  

  (a)
  an accredited representative of the news media who is engaged in carrying out that person's duties; or
  (b)
  authorised in writing to do so by the chief executive officer.

• (2) Every person referred to in subclause (1)(b) shall produce his or her authority to an airport official when required to do so.

Gunn worked for mainstream media, TVNZ from 1990 to 2003 and hosting a number of shows for Radio New Zealand, before finishing in 2016. Liz has since worked as a journalist only on a volunteer basis.

The NZ Police website states that you have a right to film in public places as long as you are not filming private acts or without the person’s consent, neither of which was applicable in this instance.

Indeed section 42 of the Human Rights Act 1993 states, under ‘Access by the public to places, vehicles, and facilities’:
(1)
It shall be unlawful for any person—
(a)
to refuse to allow any other person access to or use of any place or vehicle which members of the public are entitled or allowed to enter or use; or
(b)
to refuse any other person the use of any facilities in that place or vehicle which are available to members of the public; or
(c)
to require any other person to leave or cease to use that place or vehicle or those facilities,—
by reason of any of the prohibited grounds of discrimination.

Politician Winston Peters was also threatened with trespass from Parliament grounds last year before charges were dropped after he threatened legal action for such unlawful behaviour.

Liz Lambert, President and founder of Number 8 Workers Union of New Zealand Inc says of the situation: 

“This is clearly discrimination because of political opinion which breaches section 21 of the Human Rights Act 1993. That Liz's journalism exposed what was going on in Tokelau is well known. The arrests were in my opinion motivated by an attempt to 'warn off' all those who expose the corruption of the government. This is unlawful”.

Many Gunn supporters are claiming that this is a False Arrest.

A Whangarei court awarded a man falsely arrested in 2022, $5000. Assault can carry a $4000 penalty or 6 months in jail.

A Facebook post commenting on the event summed it up with precision: “Another example of how to get arrested in New Zealand without breaking any laws”.

An independent journalist commenting on the event said:

“This is a sad day in New Zealand when the Fourth Estate and another arm of our justice system, is gagged, and a journalist who has not received funding from the government seems to have been discriminated against by Auckland airport, the NZ Police and mainstream media.
Journalism must be free of the influence of the government - if it is not, it is public relations, not journalism.
Indeed, we are taught to criticise the government narrative in an effort to produce better social policy.
That is not what we are seeing in New Zealand now.”

Mainstream media outlets are using defamatory language to discredit Gunn, who once walked amongst them, but failing to identify their own conflict of interest - including filming at Auckland Airport without incident themselves, and taking money from the government coffers to uphold their faltering Legacy Media platforms.

Of even more concern is the evidence that this seems to have compromised their impartiality - they no longer dare to bite the government hand that feeds. That is in direct juxtaposition to their professional remit.

The government has paid over 55 million dollars to the 'public interest journalism fund’ which must align with the government narrative. This is deeply ironic, and concerning, because in journalism we automatically discredit a source when money has changed hands for a story and there is an unequivocal underlying agenda. NZ Herald journalist Damien Venuto, in particular, insists that Gunn is a 'conspiracy theorist' and describes her media company as illegitimate, yet he has not provided any evidence for such claims. He relies solely on an emotional and defamatory rant. Interestingly, Gunn has not been charged with defamation for exposing flawed government narratives, which would shore up his shakey, unfounded claims.

It’s important to remember that the term 'conspiracy theorist' was coined by the CIA after the JFK assassination, to discredit anyone who questioned the government narrative on that shameful event. It was essentially a tool to protect the government, not to provide the public with the truth.

I suspect my journalism lecturer would have put red pen all over Venuto's piece and would have failed him for such a lack of evidence to back up his emotional claims in his non-fact-based arguments. In fact, he may well consider the piece not worthy of publication for fear of a defamation case creating a huge cost to the publication.

Venuto also seems to have missed the currently popular meme that asks a significant question:

“What is the difference between a complicity theorist and a conspiracy theorist?”

“At the moment, about 3 months”.

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To support Liz & Jonathan with legal costs for the upcoming trial (on the 7th May at 9am at Manukau District Court) which are expensive, they would be very grateful if it could be put into the following account:

Name: TJ Laffey

ASB - 12-3083-0502551-50

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And in recent news, the Australian court has ruled police evidence inadmissible, in a significant victory for Melbourne freedom fighter Nick Patterson as prosecution drops its case. Patterson is now planning to sue VicPol as their officers dislocated his shoulder and imprisoned him for 29 days, yet he was the one charged.