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In July 1985 New Zealand Party leader Bob Jones and president Malcolm McDonald surprised many by announcing the nation's then-third most popular party was taking an 18 month recess. TVNZ went searching for comment, and after chartering a helicopter, found Jones fishing near Turangi. Jones was not amused; he infamously punched reporter Rod Vaughan, arguing later he would fight any charges in court, since the journalists had subjected him to intolerable harassment. When fined $1000, Jones asked the judge if he paid $2000, could he please do it again?
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The irreconcilable thing to me is that Vaughan actually thought the NZ public would feel sorry for him...
I'm sure all you knuckle draggers who support Jones' actions would be equally supportive if I was to do the same thing to the Jehovah's Witnesses and other religious types that come to my door and tell me I deserve an eternity in hell for not believing in their imaginary friend? Y'know, invasion of privacy as you say....
Again, it's a case of both sides being amateurs. Who the hell hires a chartered helicopter to disturb a politician fly fishing for an interview. What an incredible waste of resources. Who in their right mind would think anyone would appreciate this invasion?
I met Jones at the 1981 Spring Bok tour game in Hamilton he had grabbed me by the arm and invited me to fight with him against the protesters. I regret to this day not smacking the idiot between the eyes there and then. Jones is an idiot.
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Television, 1970 (Full Length)
Another famed Kiwi current affairs encounter
Television, 1983 (Full Length)
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NZ ON SCREEN 2013
This website has been made with funding from NZ ON AIR ›
Arthur Wilson
Posted at 11.55PM - 04.04.2013
Jones had just announced he'd wound up the NZ First Party he'd created, basically without any real explanation, and disappeared from sight. Why would he NOT have expected the media to track him down? It was big news. You can't just one day say: "That's it, she's all over red rover, the party's kaput, see ya!" and imagine no questions will be forthcoming. Had this been just a break he was taking, as opposed to a moonlight flit, then fair enough, he'd have had every reason to claim an invasion of privacy -- but by making that announcement and then doing a bunk, he asked for it. A damned poor show, especially after he'd used the media for all the publicity he could get when he headed the party.