The Nation and Q+A review

Ratings
The Nation is doing so well in the ratings that TVNZ have stopped releasing the polished numbers for both shows, leaving only the raw numbers so that The Nation's constant increase in ratings can be minimized.

The Nation
Hone is on getting grilled by Duncan. Hone really is a fantastic MP, articulate, brilliant and says things with such a raw truth it can grate. He makes a great point of how the right wing blogs are using Paul Henry's comment to attack him again when asked by Duncan if pakeha were racist (how often have we all heard that Paul didn't say something as controversial as Hone as a defence for Paul?), sure he said white mofos raped and pillaged the land (which is true) and he said he was uncomfortable when his daughter dated outside of his race (the only comment I always found totally unacceptable), but as a voice for Maoridom he has to be at the table when decisions are getting made.

Duncan asks if he will be a new co-leader (he says he has no ambitions, he isn't tactful, nice or diplomatic - which is very honest) but he did say he wanted to go into coalition with the Greens (the Maori Party and the Greens vote more often alike than any other political party). I would have preferred hearing Hone give his views on the wider issues of the day, not enough time was spent on the foreshore and seabed issue or what the Maori Party intend to do next election.

A very long and annoying piece on the Museum and then the SFO spooked Neville Gibson so that's a story - thank Christ Matt Nippett is on the Panel, that awful John Roughan is also on. Nice suit Matt, I want a watch like that. Matt's pissy that he was threatened by the SFO to hand over information on the SCF deal because they don't do much of their own research, both seem to think that Journalists have a legal privilege that doesn't actually exist.

Next story is about architecture. I'm falling asleep. How come a story on architecture did not actually include anything about the recent chicken pens being sold as the new state housing?

In a week where the only story was the Hobbit, or that Murray McCully formed a friendly society with Indonesia when they are caught torturing priests, or the report that National Standards had been rushed, or that Rodney Hide is trying to create a new council that can stop anything Len Brown wants - oh no, none of that.

This mornings 'The Nation' was a snooze fest.

Matt makes a brilliant point about how slow everyone was to respond to SCF, and that if they had done their job well he wouldn't be getting dragged over the coals. Duncan points out that the real difficulty of the Maori Party will be in 2011 when they are forced to choose between Labour and National. The panel predicts that tax breaks will be offered by Key and the Hobbit WILL stay in NZ and John Key will declare to the country that he has 'saved' the Hobbit from the evil Union - surprise, surprise.

q+a
q+a is all over it, state housing special, the Hobbit issue and US foreign policy.

Clare Robinson, Phil O'reilly and Sue Bradford are on the panel.

Holmes bangs the drums of Mordor over The Hobbit, blames the Actors. YAWN. The Government have offered to change Labour laws and are now looking to increase the tax rebate (which is what this has always been about, it's never been about the bloody actors).

Barnett and Helen Kelly are on debating issues. Helen points out resolution was started weeks ago, Paul claims that NZers perceive it was the actors fault (Why is that? Because the mainstream media have been played like little lap dogs for Warners Bros that's why!!!!)

Paul relishes putting the boot into the Union, and starts foaming, he screams it's the actors fault, he screams its the Union's fault. He bashes, he attacks and may as well end with pissing on a photo of Helen Kelly.

This is a public execution masquerading as current affairs. Not once is Warners Bros and the tax rebate mentioned. This is a farce. I can't wait to have a go at this manufactured crises on the War on News this week.

Barnett launches into Helen, it's a tag team match. It's as if Peter Jackson's comments when looking into the film industry that the biggest issue was NZs low tax rebate, it's all now the Unions fault and their thug tactics and because Helen was asked in to facilitate the issue at the last moment, she knows nothing.

I hope Paul Holmes gets a credit mention in The Hobbit for all his work to ensure the panic and anger at the Union so Warners Bros can get that extra tax rebate that they wanted all along. My prediction is that it gets filmed here, Key 'cuts a deal' as the deal maker giving more corporate welfare claiming all the while to have 'saved the Hobbit despite the awful union'. I hope the actual movie won't be as predictable as this manufactured crises.

Phil Heatley is on talking about forcing state home owners out of their home after 3 years to sell state hoses, apparently an opportunity to bash unions over a manufactured crises at the Hobbit was more important than forcing state house tenants onto the street. That's current affairs on TVNZ for you.

Phil has been told to fly the kite for throwing the poor onto the streets to see if there is any backlash so National can scurry away. The euphemism is 'reviewable tenancy', it's used as a term to throw the poor onto the street.

I love how a man who charged fast food to the Government accounts is now allowed to lecture the poor in state homes on whether they are worthy of state support. Hilarious.

He is looking to drop the 70 000 state houses to force them into private corporation social housing, he is now revealing almost 8 minutes into the fucking interview that he is going to decimate the 70 000 state homes by about 20% That's 14 000 homes he is about to privatize.

No headlines for 14 000 state homes about to be privatized? Better to block that debate by accusing the actors union of being a pinker shade of communism so that the manufactured crises at the Hobbit can suck oxygen away from privatizing state homes as quickly as it did when smothering the fact 15000-22000 workers marched for better rights last week.

Interesting piece with bloke from the US (James Clad) about borders. NZ will be the new cold war front between the US and China, he points out that we aren't safe in the Shire.