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.
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