Training wheels

Mactional survived its first question time. Minor injuries, no fatalities. Apart from the Maori Party's question to itself all the questions were for National ministers. For the ones with previous ministerial experience it looked natural; but for the virgins (and this includes Key of course) it looked awkward, a bit painful, but they must know they are much better for the experience. And they have some way to go. At least Brownlee wasn't playing an anarchist pied piper to all the procedural cock-ups that he attracted last week.

Labour were probing for weak points and they just may have found one in the Education Minister, Anne Tolley. She needed Brownlee's intervention at one point to stop a mauling.

Not that there was much ministerial action as such for the opposition to attack on after less than a month in their portfolios. Key took a few questions and battled through unscathed beyond the same sorts of mistakes that bedeviled many in the session - the roles have all been reversed in parliament and lapsing into calling people by their old titles occurred frequently. Although the Speaker's mistake of starting to call Phil Goff as the Prime Minister was the most inaccurate of all. Key though had his $130K+ pa cheerleaders applauding him for every answer, and if he (or the caucus) needs that sort of psychological assurance then they are in trouble. Clapping wildly every time this amateur poorly delivers a stock line must be a dire aspect of their lot.

The most impassioned episode was Keith Locke trying to get some answers on the police spying revelations. (none forthcoming) When he gave an assurance to the Police Minister that the emails he was tabling did not contain the names of police he said it only contained one email address. The address of that the operation was using. And then he read the address out :)

Not that many sparks. Maori Party abstained on the urgency motion that followed question time. Not that it matters because Nactional can still do what they like anyhow. So more urgency given to getting rid of the bio-fuel quota etc. The attention span right now is so low, it's so close to Christmas, that they could put anything through and no one would know and no one would care. I'm having trouble caring just typing this.