My values are Labour values.

I want to help build a stronger, more caring society. I am passionate about Dunedin, and I bring considerable energy and wide experience to the task of representing this electorate.

My diverse work background has given me an understanding of the economic and social levers that can be pulled to achieve meaningful change.

Please read some of the discussions included here. I welcome your comments.

- David Clark

fairness, local issues, national party policy

3 July, 2011

Please explain

The anti-MMP lobby has made it’s first major public gaffe.  They have proudly listed white supremacist Alex Fogerty amongst their founding members. 

Of course, they’ve done nothing illegal here.  All they have done is draw attention to one group looking to benefit from a less diverse parliament.  Many of the other backers are the same names you would expect to see behind National and Act party campaigns.

The Anti-MMP folk have done a rapid back-pedal, deleted Fogerty’s name from their website and forced him to withdraw from membership.  Here’s a cached version of the website, before Fogerty’s name was removed.

More shocking for me was to find that this same white supremacist, Alex Fogerty, is friends with Dunedin North National candidate Michael Woodhouse.  That may take some explaining.

5 COMMENTS

5 comments on ‘Please explain’

  1. 3 July, 2011
    Mark

    Bit of a long bow to draw there David. Most MPs accept all facebook friend requests. I doubt its anymore than that.

  2. 3 July, 2011
    David Clark

    Hey Mark, I’m not sure that’s true. I know MPs who don’t accept all requests. Are you saying Michael does?

  3. 4 July, 2011
    Anti-MMP group white supremacist link « The Standard

    […] As a quick postscript to this tawdry affair, bonus points if you can guess which National Party MP pops up on Alex Fogerty’s friend list. Labour Party candidate for Dunedin North, David Clark, asks “Please explain”… […]

  4. 5 July, 2011
    Josh Van Veen

    It is a long-bow to draw. And I’m not particularly happy that you’ve tarnished me with the same brush. I’d point out that Fogerty is FB friends with a fair number of people from various other political parties, Greens and Labour included. I can’t speak for Woodhouse, but as one of those peopel I certainly don’t condone Fogerty’s racism and had I been aware of it I would never have accepted his friend request in the first place. The fact that Woodhouse is ‘friends’ with him is in itself irrelevant and a poor attempt at a smear.

  5. 5 July, 2011
    david

    Hi Josh, Thanks for your comment. I am happy to hear you distance yourself from the kind of hate-speech associated with Fogerty. That’s fine. Subsequent coverage suggests Fogerty has *close* links with one (perhaps more than one) National MP. Clearly Michael hadn’t unfriended Fogerty when my blog was put up. I think it is appropriate to ask for an explanation – accepting that there might be a reasonable explanation. I just haven’t heard one yet.

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