Duncan Garner on Firstline TV3

I wrote Garner off in the weekend over the appalling naked display of right wing bias on a NZ on Air funded show like The Nation, so wasn't expecting much from him on TV3's Firstline this morning.

Firstline is the best source for Australian news. Pity this is NZ (I don't care about the former yellow wiggles property bubble popping), but when the chatty bullshit with those inane regional reporters who are still playing the Paul Henry lite routine drives me around the bend, I leave Petra and Corin to check out Firstline (while remote grazing BBC/CNN/AL JAZEERA - I never watch Fox News in the morning, it gives me a migraine).

Petra and Corin have saved TVNZ in terms of providing a thin veneer of public broadcasting, both are intelligent Gen Xers and it's the only time I ever see John Key sweat interviews is when Corin grills him (Key positively glows when being interviewed by Mark Sainsbury, an aggressive interview by the walrus of news is like being mauled by a labrador). Petra is the new Judy Bailey and is possibly one of the few asset's TVNZ has if it was to get privatized to Rupert Murdoch.

Firstline is the exact news program I suggested that TV3 adopt right when they first launched Sunrise with James Coleman and Carly Flynn. A smart news show that is critical and news focused with a strong journalistic approach and Firstline get's there.

Garner was a real surprise, he was far better on Firstline than he is on The Nation, he made interesting insights about Mana and pointed out that it will be those on-line who will be creating the electoral friction this time around (interesting to note arch-libertarian and Ayn Rand fantascist Lindsey Perigo is now the ACT Party communications spin dr). Duncan's most interesting point was regarding the budget, and that once middle NZ realized how worse off they were by Key's budget then National would drop in support. Duncan has a point, the sleepy hobbits of NZ haven't woken up to the rammifications of the budget yet, but when they realize what they are losing and add that to the dubious arguments justifying stte asset privatization, then they will strt looking at political alternatives for their vote.

I think the mainstream news media have reworked their limited knowledge of how little a sub 5% Party needs to gain a large chunk of MP's and have clicked that the Parliamentary math may radically reverse what has been written off as a sleep walk to victory by John Key. Garner was good, and very worthwhile watching on Firstline, Tivo or Mysky him.

Rachel Smalley asked Bryce Edwards from Otago University intelligent questions and he identified how the by-election would be a platform for Hone to win support from the wider electorate and that this election personality wouldn't trump policy because the economic environment had tightened so significantly.

Smile and Wave political capital when you are feeling nervous simply looks like vacant optimism when the problems looming in the future have no chance of being solved by what's being offered under those smiles and waves.

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