Clare Trevett, I know it’s very exciting going on a free trip to the islands but could we have some actual reporting?
You spent half your report from Tonga talking about the king’s dogs and how funny Key and the Dictator of Tonga are. Might have been nice to hear something about the start of democratisation in the kingdom, the Nuku’alofa riots were less than three years ago of course. Hell, the fact that women in pants weren’t allowed near the King (something Clark never would have meekly accepted) might have led you to look at how New Zealand aid money is being used to empower women.
But no, it was ‘doggies!’ instead.
Today‘s report from Samoa is no better. All atomspherics, no content. I just don’t know what value you think it has. Unless you’re angling for a role as social events reporter in Sunday magazine. The sad thing is there are actual stories lurking underneath the ‘omg, Key helped make coconut oil, lolz’. “Mr Key was there to look at the difference New Zealand’s seasonal employment scheme had made to villages in rural Samoa, as well as a NZ Aid funded marine conservation and research reserve.”
There you go – stories! Tell us about the seasonal employment program – is it working for the Samoans? Is it working for New Zealand? Remember when Lockwood Smith made racist comments comparing Asians and Islanders who come over under the scheme? How’s the NZAID project going? Good use of taxpayer money? Is this the kind of project put at risk by folding NZAID back into MFAT?
Too much to ask for, I guess.
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