Every time the mainstream media wants a opinion on behalf of the Japanese whaling industry they go to Glen Inwood - who, in 2000, was press secretary for then Immigration Minister, Lianne Dalziel.
He's been in the media the past few days defending the actions of the Japanese whaling ship for ramming the Idy Gil.
Inwood owns Omeka Communications, the Wellington public relations firm that represents the Japanese whaling industry.
In fact Inwood has been doing more than just speaking to the media - he's been posing as an officer of the New Zealand government.
On January 1 Inwood and Chris Johnston from Omeka Communications Zealand chartered a Chieftain aircraft out of Melbourne.
Inwood and Johnston identified themselves as representatives of the New Zealand Government which wanted to find a New Zealand catamaran and the Steve Irwin on the pretext that if they (the Sea Shepherd ships) were to get in difficulties it would cost the New Zealand government a lot of money to organise a rescue. According to Inwood, the government wanted the ships located and information gathered about their speed and direction.
Given the antagonistic attitude displayed towards the protest ships by Murray McCully, Inwood's story is laughable.
Inwood and his colleague undertook two four hour searches in a bid to find the Steve Irwin - which was the real target of their search
They then hired another aircraft and conducted a third search for the Steve Irwin and again failed to locate it
Inwood wanted to find the Steve Irwin in order to track it and send the information on to the Japanese whaling fleet.
Glen Inwood also works for Te Ohu Kaimoana, which is the sole voting shareholder in Aotearoa Fisheries (AFL), and which owns a 50 per cent shareholding in Sealord. The other half-share in Sealord is owned by the Japanese company, Nissui, which is a major shareholder in Japan's Antarctic whaling fleet.
The twelve hours of flight with the Chieftains at $1,610 an hour cost Glen Inwood $18,320. He put it on his personal credit card and will send the bill to his Japanese whaling masters.
While he has repeatedly criticised the anti-whaling protesters, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has had nothing to say about Inwood and Johnson posing as officers of the New Zealand government.
Why hasn't Murray McCully said anything about Inwood and Johnson's actions? They have, after all, been breaking the law.
A clue to McCully's silence can be found in the fact that Glen Inwood also works for Te Ohu Kaimoana, which is the sole voting shareholder in Aotearoa Fisheries (AFL), and which owns a 50 per cent shareholding in Sealord. The other half-share in Sealord is owned by the Japanese company, Nissui, which is a major shareholder in Japan's Antarctic whaling fleet.
Money talks - in this case its the not inconsiderable economic influence of Nissui.
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