And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid…

Written By: - Date published: 3:30 pm, March 22nd, 2009 - 3 comments
Categories: Media - Tags:

Q+A was quite good. Guyon Espiner was well researched and focused on the contrast between what Key says and what he does. Maybe Guyon has finally started caring now it’s him and his workmates who are in the firing line. Getting rid of that amateur Rawdon Christie and putting in a vastly experienced interviewer in Paul Holmes was a good move. Good question put to both John Key and Andrew Little. The panel worked very well by not having old media hacks but a clear figure from the Left (Russel Norman) and the Right (Phil O’Reily) and an academic (Therese Arseneau). They were scathing of Key’s lack of a plan.

It’s just a shame they had to wreck it with a pathetic attempt at PR hype.

We’ve just got a press release from TVNZ following the first screening of Q+A. It says “Prime Minister John Key has unveiled a new economic initiative to borrow $40 billion to help NZ through the recession” on the show.

I know they’re just trying to drum up hype around their show but this rubbish has to be knocked on the head straight away.

The $40 billion in added borrowing is what National before the election was calling ‘a decade of deficits’. It’s what Treasury says will need to be borrowed to meet existing spending commitments because the recession is eating into government revenue. In the interview, Key does not call it a new initiative. In fact, he talks about borrowing as little as possible even though that will prolong the recession and cost jobs. This is not a new initiative, it is not a reaction to the recession, it is not new borrowing, it will not be funding new spending.

Unlike every other major government, Key is still refusing to undertake any kind of stimulus like a Green New Deal to revive the economy. Key’s sitting on his hands but TVNZ is crediting him with action anyway. I bet he’s wearing the grin extra wide now.

3 comments on “And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid… ”

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  1. gingercrush 1
    22 March 2009 at 3:55 pm

    Q&A was alright. But drop the “Week that was” unless its something sensible and not something that sounds like talkback radio. The interviews themselves were both good. But they need to do the two interviews in the first 30 minutes and then devote the final 30 minutes to panel discussions. Rather than having one interview, then panel speaks, then another interview then the panel speaks again. That way the program would flow better.

    I think Holmes moderated the panel too much and didn’t allow proper discussion. Two or three times, Russel Norman spoke about a Green new deal. And every time, Holmes dismissed it. What he could have done, is turned what Norman was saying to Phil O’Reilly. And ask O’Reilly why doesn’t the government and business invest in green programs and initiatives.

    I don’t really get what Therese Arsenau offers. For someone who is a political scientist you’d think she could say better stuff than what she actually said. Yes she knows about voter behaviour and opinion polls etc. But she doesn’t seem to know much about policy. She was my lecturer at Canterbury University and in that class very little was about policy. She’s someone that can offer something when it comes to elections. But with the election now gone where policy is so important. She either needs to bring that to the panel or she shouldn’t be on it. Also two people plus Therese Arsenau isn’t exactly a panel.

    Its alright but I just want to go back to the nineties when we had Linda Clark. I use to love that show where she moderated with four other speakers. I’ll keep watching Q&A but I’m not sold on it.

    —-

    As for that PR TVNZ has put out. Rather pathetic. I know the left likes to believe that the media is bias for National. But to me the reality is that our media in general is rubbish and that is why we get the stories produced on TV, radio and newspaper. (Radio NZ exempted).

    Oh and for anyone that missed the show. TVNZ has some video clips of the interviews and parts of the panel.

  2. andy 2
    22 March 2009 at 6:10 pm

    Gingercrush,

    JK did a a great non adversarial interview with Andrew Patterson on his sunday business show on radio live.(12-1pm). Worth a listen, can only be streamed at present.

    http://www.radiolive.co.nz/AudioArchive/AudioOnDemand/tabid/344/language/en-NZ/Default.aspx

  3. Jum 3
    24 March 2009 at 2:23 pm

    Q and A
    I watched the whole programme carefully for any signs of Paul Holmes showing favouritism. Right at the beginning, everything he said was loaded against the left and positive for the right. By the end of the show – I call it a show because it is hardly Linda Clark’s political debate with bite – Holmes had improved slightly. I was even pleasantly surprised by Guyon Espiner, who seems to be getting more objective by the minute. Shame he didn’t do proper research before last year’s election – like Fran O’Sullivan, I think he was just having a love-in with Keyesee.

    However, I’m pleased something political is back and we can always tune into Linda on 3 on Sunrise on Tuesday morning I think it is, when Paul Holmes grates. Couldn’t they find anyone else?

    As for TVNZ, didn’t anyone notice that the programmes were deliberately run down about 6 to 12 months before the election, so there was very little to discern as being remotely Public Broadcasting value. The Maori channel is better in some cases.

    What was that award Paul Henry was given? What for? Who from? NAct for his PR work on their behalf during the last year or so?