The Sunday Newspaper Brunch Club

On the Sunday Newspaper Brunch Club, the best political team on television, the last man convicted of Sedition, Tim Selwyn, political editor of the NBR, Ben Thomas, AUT Media lecturer, Wayne Hope and Alt Tv producer, Bomber.

News that caught my eye
1: The Pope on tour – hypocrisy to condemn the church for it’s sexual molesting priest gaffes and yet met the American Bishop who was part of the cover up? 4300 priests with allegations against them can’t all be wrong – what’s with the Pope mobile?

2: My mummy looks pretty now – book aimed at children where Mummy goes off to get cosmetic surgery, the little girl asks “Why do you want to look different mommy” – Mommy’s reply, “Not just different honey, prettier” – possibly the best al qaeda recruitment tool next only to my sweet 16 on MTV and C4.

3: National rules out asset sales (in the first term) – loved how Roger Douglas was on right after this announcement by John Key (remember Rodney is still the leader yet it was Roger the media went to for a comment)saying Labour and National are the same spin when what is needed is spine (and then Roger had a wee smirk at how clever he had been to think of adding an e to a word to make his clever point - 'gosh I'm clever' he thought). Can John Key keep his word if there is a Roger at his table?

4: Story on how hard it has been for White South Africans to assimilate into NZ culture because there aren’t enough ‘domestic help’ – would black slaves be a more appropriate term?

5: Banning gang colors – ummmmmmm what? Dr Sharples this week got an earful for suggesting gangs could be part of any change.

6: John Key has a sulk cause Labour call him nasty names which made John look like the prissy Prime Minister in waiting.

7: China A number one – in global none appeal death sentences and global pollution.

8: Nats promise strict rules for young crims – dom post saturday
National would introduce a "spotlight sentence" on young offenders once they are released from their sentences, leader John Key announced today. "This sentence will require them to comply with a court-ordered contract," he told the Sensible Sentencing Trust's victims conference in Wellington this morning. "This contract will set out the court's expectations of the offender including, for example, curfews, an end to gang involvement, regular school attendance, and compliance with drug treatment programmes. "Where young offenders don't comply with their `spotlight sentence' they will be subject to electronic monitoring using an ankle bracelet."
Mr Key said National would give the Youth Court new powers for dealing with young offenders:
* The power to issue parenting orders, requiring the parents of young offenders to address problems at home that may be contributing to their child's offending.
* The power to refer young offenders to mentoring programmes to get young people back on track.
* The power to refer young offenders to compulsory drug or alcohol rehabilitation programmes.
Mr Key also repeated the party's plans for the boot-camp style "fresh start programmes" for young offenders. "The programmes will last up to one year and will include up to three months of residential training at, for example, army facilities.
* Introducing Tasers, subject to a positive evaluation of the trial.
* Requiring DNA samples to be taken from all arrested for offences punishable by imprisonment.
* Giving police the ability to issue time-bound on-the-spot protection orders, to better protect women from domestic violence.
Finally an issue Key can use to look different from the Labour brand, but look at some of the surprises here, taking DNA from EVERYONE arrested? That is a huge increase of power well above what Police currently have – and I read an interesting piece last week about Tasers and the fact that Police can not use Tasers simply because a person is resisting or to get compliance from a prisoner, they are only to be used when someone is armed and needs disarming – the good ole ‘I’d prefer to be tasered than shot’ argument. And he’s back with the boot camp thing, which is interesting because he claimed the media’s attention on the boot camp thing was generated by the media and not him, when here he is trumpeting it.

9: Back to school for police – dom post saturday
Every frontline police officer will be retrained in how to hold interviews after a critical report found the force was "doing a disservice" to victims - and to criminals. Police had to stop an Auckland homicide investigation on its third day and train the team on how to take statements because their work was so poor, says the report, issued to The Dominion Post under the Official Information Act.
I love that it isn’t until you are almost at the end of this story that you are told what the problem with the Police ‘style is’ – from the opening paragraph you may be misled into believing it’s silly Police who can’t read or write – oh no, no, no my friend, the problem actually is “Many police officers interviewed to extract a confession rather than the truth” – our current strategy in that room is a confrontational exercise in trying to aggressively force a confession rather than asking questions designed to find the facts of a case and follow where the evidence leads – sure our current style has a high clearance rate, because everyone you interview you are trying to force a confession!

10: Obama as an elitist – this coming from Hillary and McCain – both og whom have over $100 million each – ABC debate a set up?

Story 1 - In the shadow of Macsyna King - sst
The tragedy of the Kahui twins has given middle New Zealand a glimpse into another world. Tim Hume reports.
He writes an incredible story that really does plumb the depths of the ‘underclass’ – has the media covered this case to shed light or create ratings heat, just this week another young baby died from unexplained injuries.

Story 2 - Instructor's bravery and strength in the face of adversity – HOS
Thoughts on the media coverage to this truly tragic story? John Campbell reminded everyone how much a brilliant Journalist he is.

Story 3 - Don, Diane and The Hollow Men - sst
An encounter at the Auckland production of The Hollow Men reminds Bridget Saunders that we live in a small town. He was scathing of the book, but former National leader Don Brash seemed to enjoy The Hollow Men play at Auckland's Maidment Theatre last week. The Sunday Star-Times took him along to the show - at which he laughed a lot, interspersed with the occasional muttering: "That's crap!" Crap is strong talk for Brash, whose only other noticeable expletive involves not giving a fig. Bizarrely, we'd run into Diane Foreman (aka Delta Foxtrot for a while around parliament) in the foyer before we went in. He was stunned to see her, and she was stunned to see him - and with a gossip columnist! It certainly was not pre- arranged as has been suggested - it was too peculiar for that.
Can we all just appreciate how amazingly wonderful this moment would have been? Oh God I wish I had been there, Nicky Hagar is on Let’s Be Frank with Oliver on Tuesday, 8.30pm on Alt.

Story 4 - Story 4 Hawaii holiday home for Key - sst
As the local housing market tightens, John Key buys an apartment in Maui. Political editor Ruth Laugesen reports. National leader John Key has just got a late Christmas present most New Zealand families being squeezed by soaring interest rates and high prices would envy - a tropical holiday home in Hawaii. Key confirmed to the Sunday Star-Times he had bought an apartment on the swanky island of Maui at Christmas, with settlement a week ago. He was reluctant to reveal details of its location or what he paid for it. "You can see the beach," he said.
I suppose John can focus on all those concerns of ordinary NZers he’s been claiming that Helen has ignored while sitting on his multi-million dollar tropical Hawian winter residence – doesn’t he have an Elephant hunting lodge built of ivory that overlooks the African lakes district where John can ponder the complexities of ordinary NZers?

Final Word – Peter Dunne on Let’s be Frank repeat tonight at 10pm and on Tuesday Oliver interviews Nicky Hagar.