Q+A

I tip my hat when it deserves it. Q+A tried it on with Rodney Hide this morning and Guyon got some punches in, and Rodney was doing EVERYTHING to look as meek and none threatening as possible (the Crosby Textor talking points must’ve come in and they would’ve said, “Yes Rodney you are the Boss, but stop looking like it”).

Rodney on Rodney
On screwing Maori on killing the Maori seats
Guyon was good but wanted a debate with a man using talkback logic, I am so sick of hearing the line, “There’s nothing stopping Maori from running” bullshit. It’s just such a talkback attack line, yes there is nothing stopping Maori from standing but there are heaps of things stopping Maori from winning! Unfair electoral systems and 150 year history where only 8 Maori have been elected within the context of the sovereignty partnership created by the Treaty of Waitangi all play a part, points I was glad to see Guyon point out.

Climate Change:
Guyon hit him hard over Climate Change, you could see Rodney’s eyes narrow as Guyon read out any one of the crazy quotes Hide has given on Climate Change. Rodney knows that shit fly’s within the narrow voting band he aims at and is seen as flat earth nonsense by the masses so he didn’t want to linger.

On smacking:
Oh god Rodney sounded so far up his arse when he tried to claim that the smacking debate effected him and made him a ‘criminal’ for smacking his kid just like his dear old mother. It’s just such provincial mush, it’s like listening to Bush name Jesus Christ as his great person in history question. You can see that Hide has spent way too much time with the Sensible Sentencing Trust, his reasoning for the right to smack was just all emotional pap.

On screwing Rodger:
Smart question at the end with tying Douglas’s jaw dropping defence of his overseas perks with ACT’s supposed core values of small Government.

Hide was reminded today that the media are watching.


Len Brown – Good luck
Len announced his run at the Auckland Mayoralty and his decent bloke reality actually won a certain begrudging respect from Guyon. He gave a strong vision, and it was actually refreshing to hear someone give a vision, the two trip points were the fact he didn’t have Maori seats in the Manukau City Council. His answer on that needs to be much quicker and sharper and his heart issue needs to be addressed up front rather than allow to be the last thing people think about.


Winston back
Well at least it will stop old people from voting for National