Bees, beekeepers and honey packers around Australia are suffering through drought, bushfires, pesticide abuse and the threat of cheap imported honey. Now, more than ever, we need to form a united approach to help suffering beekeepers.
It disappoints me that the corporate board of Capilano (who voted to re-brand the company “Hive & Wellness Australia” after deciding to sell the majority of the company for Chinese money ) are still determined to waste their shareholder’s money on litigation to silence me and other journalists.
Capilano (AKA Hive & Wellness) have the power to end this pointless litigation at any time. They could easily take up my offer to help savethebeesaustralia raise funds to support beekeepers suffering as a result of the devastating fires and drought. Instead they are continuing to waste a fortune on top tier Sydney solicitors and barristers vengefully suing me in the Supreme Court claiming that I “defamed” them by exposing their business practice - using Capilano subsidiary brand Allowrie“Mixed Blossom Honey” to sell Australian honey blended with Chinese and other foreign honey at a discount price - often to unwary Australian consumers.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/Br0yXodAPw_/?igshid=10g9abcuv9bmq
A 13 day trial has been listed for March 2020. Solicitors have advised it will cost me a minimum of $120,000 to defend myself in the Supreme Court at Melbourne until the Judge reaches a verdict whether my defence – simply that I did not defame Capilano because I told the truth in context – will be sufficient and allow me to avoid financial ruin. Another barrister gave me a quote that he would represent me for $8,000 a day… How are these sums of money justifiable while bees and beekeepers are suffering with the fires and drought?
I simply cannot spend any more money to defend myself against this #SLAPPWRIT.
Recently, thanks to the donations through my crowdfunding campaign, I received test results from one of the world’s most accomplished laboratories confirming cheap imported supermarket honey,including Allowrie honey, is adulterated. As a consequence the ACCC have notified me and advise they have re-opened their investigation into how Australian supermarkets can still continue to sell fake honey.
As founder of savethebeesaustralia I should only be focused saving bees and committing my energy to campaigns such as stopping local Shire Councils recklessly spraying pesticides to kill insects. (I am proud to have recently been involved in a successful campaign where we halted a pesticide spraying program near my home on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula).
If you have unwittingly purchased Allowrie honey, please write to “Hive & Wellness”Australia contactus@hivewell.com and demand to be reimbursed for your purchases. Please ask “Hive & Wellness”to apologise to all Australians for knowingly selling Allowrie honey containing Chinese ingredients and ask them to end their spiteful lawsuit against me for simply trying to inform consumers about their business practices.
I have hope but it is unlikely “Hive and Wellness” (Capilano) will be gracious and back down from their #SLAPPWRIT against me… I now hopefully reachout for assistance from lawyers or law students who have a passion for free speech, beewelfare and food security and want to be involved in a David and Goliath like trial to help me defend myself as a self-represented litigant in the Supreme Court and in doing so support every Australian’s right to speak out against corporations and make justified, honest online comments which are in the public interest. I believe this could become one of the biggest defamation cases in Australia’s legal history and has the potential to create legal precedent that further protects our right to free speech.
If you would like to donate some time pro bono and be a part of my legal team of brilliant caring people who are practising or studying law to help others and our environment and in doing so take on some of the highest paid corporate defamation lawyers in Australia please email me at hellobeethecure@gmail.com
The funds I have raised so far to support my legal defence have produced some positive precedents. Ifyou are interested in assisting in this case please read these judgements then get inspired to fight for free speech (and bee welfare) with me at the trial in March .
I appreciate your time considering and sharing this post.
Sincerely,
Simon Mulvany