Dear NZ Herald - about your editorial on Hone

Dear NZ Herald
Your editorial today attacking Hone is more about fear towards the political representation of the angry poor that the Mana Party represents than genuine political commentary. Bernard Hickey over at Interest.co.nz told me on radio NZ yesterday that one of the biggest talking points on his site this year has been the Hone Heke transaction tax. Hardly the "sort of programme not for public consumption" now is it NZ Herald?

Rather than understanding this as a broader left wing party, you relegate it to simply Maori. The NZ Herald has been behind the ball on this story ever since I predicted this would occur in November of last year on TVNZ7's Backbenchers. The NZ Herald are so far behind because their political radar ignores the poor. That ignorance and arrogance will be shown the contempt it deserves on election day just like South Auckland showed up the NZ Herald by electing Len Brown by a landslide.

The political spectrum is splintering as it did in the wake of the 1929 stock market collapse during the 1930s. The NZ Herald are aware that a steep recession is on right? They are aware that the reality for the 300 000 minimum wage workers and 340 000 beneficiaries has become much harsher because of an economic recession they had no hand in right?

The NZ Herald have been caught out not seeing this new political development in a new political landscape that is being shaped by an angry electorate of poverty and they will be surprised once again once the depth of that support starts to become apparent.