Martyn 'Bomber' Bradbury (born 1974) is a New Zealand media commentator, former radio and TV host, and former executive producer of Alt TV. He was given the nickname 'Bomber' by a former Craccum editor, reputedly to describe his bombastic personality. He has been described by the New Zealand Listener as the "most opinionated man in New Zealand". He has defended his decision to block a number of women on social media and referred to reasons for disputes with five women who previously contributed to "The Daily Blog".

Bradbury was the elected editor of the Auckland University Students' Association's (AUSA) Craccum magazine for the 1997 year, and elected co-editor with Stuart Gardiner for the 1995 year. Before that he was the poetry editor. According to Bradbury, he picked up the nickname Bomber from one of the editors of Craccum.

Bradbury is a former editor (2004–05) of New Zealand music magazine Rip It Up. While Bradbury claimed he had been "banned" for criticising the New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key, RNZ said he had not been banned, and that he had been removed as a panellist after breaching their editorial policy.

Online

In late September 2024, Bradbury and former National Party staffer and lobbyist Matthew Hooton received legal letters from former National Party leader Don Brash's legal counsel Stephen Franks after Hooton made remarks attacking Brash's character and accusing him of promoting racism against Māori during his parliamentary career and as leader of Hobson's Pledge during a Working Group podcast; in which Bradbury served as a co-host. Following the complaint, Bradbury released a statement stating that Hooton sincerely apologised for his remarks about Brash.

In late April 2025, Bradbury confirmed that he had suspended The Working Group current affairs podcast following a dispute with its co-owner Damien Grant over Bradbury's criticism of Israel's conduct during the Gaza war and the New Zealand Initiative's relationship with the Atlas Network.

On 19 April 2025, The Working Group was replaced with a new online weekly current affairs podcast series called The Bradbury Group. It is sponsored by Waatea News and is available on Rova, YouTube, Sky TV and Facebook. Notable guests have included Labour leader Chris Hipkins, Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere, The New Zealand Herald columnist Matthew Hooton and New Zealand Council of Trade Unions economist Craig Renney.

Politics

Mana Movement

Martyn Bradbury was a consultant to the Mana party until 2013, and provided a draft strategy document for the Kim Dotcom Internet Party in 2014. He was influential in promoting public opposition to expansion of GCSB spying powers.

Colin Craig defamation trial

On 23 September 2016, Bradbury testified as a defence witness in Jordan Williams' defamation trial against Colin Craig, the former leader of the Conservative Party. Williams, the co-founder of the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union had filed a defamation suit against Craig after the latter had produced a pamphlet entitled "Dirty Politics and Hidden Agenda" attacking Williams, the right-wing blogger Cameron Slater, and a dissident Party member John Stringer. In his testimony, Bradbury alleged that Williams had embarked on a political hit job against Craig and defended Craig's pamphlet. Bradbury described the trial as "an angry fight between two people who don't like each other much." Bradbury was also questioned by Williams' lawyer Peter McKnight for making alleged defamatory comments against Williams in The Daily Blog.

Views and positions

South Canterbury Finance bubble

Bradbury was highly critical of the late finance company owner Alan Hubbard, whose company was placed under statutory management by the-then Justice Minister Simon Power.

Conversion therapy ban legislation

In response to the Government's proposed conversion practices legislation in 2021 which seeks to ban gay conversion therapy, Bradbury criticised bill's five year prison term as form of "government overreach" which distracted from the Government's failure to address what he regarded as their failed mental health, poverty and housing policies.

References

  • Tumeke! blog
  • The Daily Blog