The big story here in Auckland is over the double resignation of Don Brash, first as leader of the main opposition party and then from parliament altogether. The downfall of the National Party leader followed damning revelations in a book by an investigative journalist, Nicky Hager. Its most explosive content is a series of emails revealing Brash's links with the Exclusive Brethren, a right-wing fundamentalist Christian group, and various other US neo-conservatives.
Brash initially tried to prevent publication of the book, entitled The Hollow Men: A Study in the Politics of Deception, through court injunctions. Then he initiated a complex deal in order to make it look as though he was sanctioning publication, a manoeuvre that provoked a backlash against him from within his own party. All the facts are not yet entirely clear, but it looks as though Hager's public interest defence to obtaining private emails does provide a justification for publication.
