Eamon Sloan

  Post Election Thoughts My vote went to NZ First in the expectation National would require NZ First’s support. My take is now that National will probably, even need to, take NZ First into the tent in order to consolidate a majority. Could we then look forward to an ongoing media feeding frenzy focussed totally on NZ First? A brake of some kind is needed on National and ACT’s more extreme policy proposals – more so on ACT. Many of National’s 100 days targets could run counter to some of ACT’s or NZ First’s proposals. National’s targets are obviously designed to fund its tax cuts. For example extending the retirement/superannuation age to 67 would on a very, very rough reckoning “save” $2.5 Billion per annum in today’s dollars. What to make of a National/ACT/NZ First coalition? The worst troublemaker will likely be ACT who will put a lot of effort into interfering with NZ First. To the matter of Maori culture. In posts below here, and on other blog sites comments, I have exp...

  More Election Thoughts – Jack Tame in particular Some headlines described the Jack Tame/Winston Peters interview as a train wreck – suggesting it was a train wreck for Winston Peters. I disagree. From my perspective it was a train wreck for Tame. His interviews are time and again riddled with gotcha questions and constant interruptions. Tame pursues the age old interviewer’s trick of not asking a question without knowing the answer in advance - then accusing the interviewee of being ignorant or ill-prepared. All in order to make Tame look good. Tame’s goal was to go all out in goading Peters to react badly. Certainly Peters is well known for his combative style and he can be relied on to provide a tetchy reply if provoked. The interview was basically a hit job and ambush of Peters, and Peters described it as such in a later news item. During the interview Peters accused Tame of conducting a vindictive interview. Peters might have been caught out somewhat in accusing Tame of b...