BSCNZ caught up in Hager book’s expose of Whale Oil smear campaign

Building Services Contractors New Zealand's president Patrick Lee-Lo is calling for an explanation about content in a book written by Nicky Hager, Dirty Politics, suggests that blogger Cameron Slater's savage attacks on the organisation were motivated by someone paying him to do so.

 

Patrick Lee-Lo
Patrick Lee-Lo

Building Service Contractors New Zealand’s (BSCNZ) president Patrick Lee-Lo is calling for an explanation about content in a book written by Nicky Hager, Dirty Politics, that suggests blogger Cameron Slater’s savage attacks on the organisation (BSCNZ) were motivated by someone paying him to do so.

‘Nicky Hager’s book Dirty Politics contains several pages relating to the Whale Oil blog’s long-running campaign against the cleaning industry body, its officers, councillors and president Lee-Lo,’ stated the 18 August press release.

The press release said the book contains evidence suggesting these attacks, which took place over 18 months, were: written by Carrick Graham and placed in Whale Oil; that ‘Fred’ and ‘Barney’ the ‘informed’ commenters on these posts were both written by Grant McLauchlan, managing director of Crest Commercial Cleaning company, which has advertised heavily on the Whale Oil site; and that the real purpose of the campaign was to influence the Government to scrap the Principles for the Property Services agreement – which it did in June this year.

Dirty Politics suggests Cameron Slater attacked BSCNZ because someone was paying him to do so – most probably through the medium of advertising in Whale Oil,” commented Lee-Lo. “The Whale Oil posts and the anonymous comments had the potential to seriously damage the reputation of the BSCNZ and a number of people associated with it. It included vicious and sickening personal attacks directed at me.”

According to the press release the book contains evidence claiming:

• PR agent Carrick Graham wrote Whale Oil posts (published under Cameron Slater’s name) calling the BSCNZ a ‘piss-ant little organisation’ and its president a ’70s porn star look-alike’ accusing staff of ‘troughing’ and ‘telling porkies’

• Graham then posted comments underneath, calling himself ‘Lion King’ and ‘Naylor’, saying Lee-Lo ‘abused multiple companies and franchisees’,  ‘believes his own bullshit doesn’t stink’ and would ‘get away with stonewalling the BSCNZ members from getting a slice of the $1.8m he’s sucked out of them’

• The man who paid Graham to run the campaign, BSCNZ opponent Grant McLauchlan, posted comments as ‘Fred’ and ‘Barney’, talking of ‘Paddy Plumley Lee-Lo’, calling him a ‘prick’, ‘bent’ and a ‘clown’ running a ‘rort’ and a ‘sham’, and calling on him to quit

“It was savage, relentless and hugely distressing.  However, of even greater concern, is the suggestion that this dirty tricks campaign influenced the decision to overturn an agreement that protected cleaning workers’ rights,” added Lee-Lo. “The Principles Agreement established that only BSCNZ members could tender for Government cleaning contracts. This is because our members commit to meet high standards, provide fair working conditions and pay cleaners above the minimum wage.

“The implication in Mr Hager’s book is that Grant McLauchlan was bankrolling Carrick Graham and Cameron Slater to destroy an agreement that protected cleaners’ rights to fair pay for a fair day’s work under fair conditions,” explained Lee-Lo.

“Crest Commercial Cleaning is not a BSCNZ member – and has been subject to Employment Court rulings regarding its treatment of workers. It could benefit significantly from the scrapping of the Principles Agreement,” he continued. “Cleaners are among the most vulnerable workers in New Zealand. This decision will lead to many having no choice but to work in reduced conditions for lower wages.

“I want answers,” stated Lee-Lo. “I believe cleaners and reputable cleaning companies deserve answers – about whether these men were involved in the Whale Oil attacks, and if so, how it was that they have managed to cause so much harm.”

 www.bsc.org.nz

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