The Nation and Q+A review

RATINGS: Q+A 151 500, The Nation - Did Not Screen

The Nation
Paula Bennett is on, she should get grilled by Garner, but he doesn't grill her, he gives her a cuddle and lets her off the hook about the FACT that the Welfare Razor Gang used voodoo math to justify forcing solo mothers, the crippled , the mentally unwell and the ill back to work - the interview is weak, Garner seems to have pulled his punches to have gained the interview. He allows Paula to come across as caring and not implementing hard right economic policy as social policy, her bullshit 'Yeah, yeah, nah' stock standard answer is not an example of holding the social welfare Minister to account in any way shape or form.

That awful John Roughan from the Herald and Simon Wilson editor of Metro is on the panel. At least Sean Plunkett has a go at Bennett over the 6.8% unemployment rate and where these beneficiaries. would find work. Can you believe Paula claims her working group is 'transparent' - its a farce! Bennett has VERY purposely stacked the Welfare Razor Gang with ideological right wing nutters - but not ONE WORD of that in this slow dance that passes as an interview, it's just spin like the Breakfast show and Good Morning last week.

I'm writing the interview off, but at least the panel segment was a highlight, there they did attempt to challenge Paula Bennett's position.


q+a
On the panel with Dr Therese Arseneau are lawyer and former ACT MP Stephen Franks and NZ Food & Grocery Council CEO and former National MP Katherine Rich, Guyon is in Australia about the election results, Paul Holmes interviews Justice Minister Simon Power about the government’s plan for liquor reform. There's also a special Christchurch mayoral debate with Mayor Bob Parker and Progressives leader Jim Anderton.

Oh and David Farrar and I fight it out in q+a's new blogger segment.

With so much great juicy news this week, the monologue is very funny.

Guyon in Australia, it looks like a hung Parliament, which would be an odd similarity with the UK - perhaps when the major parties simply try to hold the center ground with no ideology neither Party end up standing for anything.

The panel sharpen their teeth on the ACT fiasco.

Simon Power is on trying to avoid looking like a Nanny State monster with his cut backs on booze. I think he gets that there needs to be a change, but the main issues of booze availability and hours of booze shops operating are where the real challenge will be.

The simple fact is that he isn't going to stop supermarkets from selling booze and he's not raising the price - without those two elements, it's all just hot air.

Paul rips into Simon over the bullshit blood alcohol level. Simon knows he's on a hiding to nothing over that.

Why is Bob Parker even trying against Jim Anderton? The Chch job is Jims, simple as that. Listening to Parker justify taking over the water board is funny.

Panel has many good points re Parker and Anderton.