The Nation and Q+A review

The Nation
Duncan is in Japan, so it's just Sean running the show. The Mana election debate is up and running and as it runs into the final week and it is looking like so much fun, Matt is running hard, and if the economic impact of the recession is as extreme as it seems then the idea that they vote as if they were free as Chris Trotter put it could have a real impact on the result.

Hekia Parata had her position bruised when Key falsely claimed she was a local and Faafoi's memory of remembering the opening of McDonalds in the year of his birth puts him in the Guinness Book of Records. Jan Logie is great, but she won't win.

This is the first real time the voters of Mana will have a real choice, if Matt pulls off a win it will be extraordinary. It's a pity that The Nation don't then go to a candidates debate and preferred to simply do a story on the race.

The savings working group is on next and will be ignored like every other group that the Government has asked to look into difficult issues they don't want an immediate answer to. The collapse of the NZ economy due to the global meltdown caused by greedy merchant bankers in the US means the Government need to look like they are considering all options before they start privatizing the country to their corporate mates post 2011 if they win the next election early mid year.

The 'new normal' in the economy means it is going to be shit for the next decade and health and welfare look like they are on the chopping block first. The most vulnerable in society will have to pay the highest price for greedy corporate merchant bankers, that is an anger ripe for political expression.

The water debate is up and running and the power of the dairy industry to suck up all our water is touched upon. Watching my friends in Christchurch have their water polluted and used up because the Farming lobby is so powerful will lead to a deep backlash against farmers soon and demand a much more radical activism aimed at Fonterrorist.

The funniest line is hearing the reporter say that the Government has to stand up to the dairy industry - BHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....yeah right.

Brian Fallow and Patrick Smellie are on the panel, they are suggesting a surprise in Mana but they are claiming it will go for the National candidate.

Q+A
Story in the paper that TVNZ wants to replace Paul Henry with Paul Holmes on breakfast, they would call it ' from red neck to grey neck'. I don't think I could put up with Union bashing Paul Holmes that early in the morning, that's why I avoid ZB like chlamydia.

John Tamihere, Fran O'Sullivan and Jon Johanson are on the panel. Big story for Fran was free trade negotiations with Russia, Jon said his big story was the impact of Obama's warm message to India on Pakistan and John said the big story was the Mana by-election.

Guyon is talking to head of Slitherin House, Murray McCully about the next whaling season. Muzza seems almost sober, he talks about Japan needing to open their market, which seems optimistic but more interesting is the news that Japan will be killing whales in NZs search and rescue zone.

The interesting thing about Japan's sudden interest in talking with NZ has been that it has coincided with their push and shove game with China.

Did Hillary ask for troops to stay longer in Afghanistan than he is being public about? The answer seems yes. What a surprise.

Power vacum in the Pacific is being discussed, will China fill it? It seems they already have.

Jon on the panel points out that the public don't believe Free Trade actually helps anyone other than the corporations pushing for them.

Paul lines up the Welfare debate, based on his union bashing, his bennie bashing should be hilarious. Paula Rebstock from the Welfare Razor Gang is on defending her deep welfare cuts, he allows her to defend the current voodoo math she is using to force solo mothers, the crippled, the sick and the mentally ill back to work in a 6.4% unemployment environment. It's like Paul Henry interviewing John Key, it is soft, so god damned soft and totally uncritical. This interview is an insult to those hurting because of a global meltdown they had nothing to do with.

What a joke.