Letter to the Editor: National Party election lies start early?

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FROM:     “f.macskasy”
SUBJECT:     Letter to the ed
DATE:     Thu, 16 Jan 2014 12:12:32 +1300
TO:     “Sunday Star Times” <letters@star-times.co.nz>

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Letters to the editor
Sunday Star Times

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I note that the National Party has started it's election
campaign early, with the spread of propaganda claiming
credit for low inflation and low interest rates.

This is disingenuous in the extreme.

Low inflation was a consequence of the Global Financial
Crisis; low consumer demand; reduced export receipts; and
cheap money. Unless the National Party Party is claiming
responsibility for the Global Financial Crisis, low
inflation was a natural consequence of a worldwide recession
and not by any 'Herculean' efforts by Southland farmer and
MP, Bill English.

As for claiming credit for low interest rates - what
rubbish! Most people will be well aware that these are set
by the Reserve Bank via it's OCR announcements. Unless
National has changed the Reserve Bank Act and interest rates
are now set from the Beehive? When did this happen?

And if the Nats are claiming credit for current low interest
rates - will they also claim responsibility when interest
rates are expected to be hiked to 7.5% to 8% later this
year?

Or will they blame that on the previous Labour government,
as Key often does?

The Nats must be desperate for good news if they have
resorted to fabricating "facts".

-Frank Macskasy
(address & phone number supplied)

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The Paul Henry Show – Insulting or Insightful?

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TV3 have been running ads promoting the new “Paul Henry Show”.  The ad shows Henry walking down a darkened alley, with a disembodied voice-over – hype over-flowing like the Waikato in heavy flood – and just as murky. Tantalisingly, or nervously perhaps,  TV3 gives little idea what the programme’s content will be.

TV3’s website offers this, somewhat less-than-illuminating, “information”,

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Source

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The text refers to  “covering everything from the erudite to the outrageous” – and that, frankly speaking, does not reassure me one iota.

We know that Henry can be “outrageous”. He has form. Whether it be reference to a woman’s appearance or giggling like a ten year old at someone’s unusual-sounding name – Henry’s behaviour can certainly qualify as “outrageous”.

If outrageous is what TV3 want, I suspect Henry can deliver that by the monster-truck full. As much as TV3’s executives; the show’s producer(s); and the public can stomach before Henry  once again over-steps the mark and the audience vomit back any tasteless performance he rams down our throats.

Which is not to say that there is a percentage of the viewing public that will always rush to Henry’s defense after one of his spectacularly tasteless performances.

Then again, some people defended Tony Veitch after his vicious assault on his girlfriend. Not that I’m comparing Henry with Veitch. No,  I’m comparing their audiences whose moral compasses were so skewed that they would defend the repugnantly indefensible.

Henry can do outrageous, tasteless, shocking. It’s not that hard to cater for society’s lowest common denominator. Ignorance, juvenile “humour”, and  tastelessness require no thought whatsoever. Just check out Courtney Place in Wellington or Queen St in Auckland, in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday mornings, for evidence of that kind of behaviour.

But I’ve also seen Henry’s better, more serious  side, where he has hosted intelligent current affairs programmes with maturity, dignity,  and professionalism. That side of Paul Henry is one that treats viewers, and his own profession, with respect.

I’m not expecting a sombre, sullen, Henry – fresh from a funeral or roadside crash.

But is it too much to expect maturity and  dignity from a man who is quite capable of delivering a professional performance?

Paul Henry has talent. I would love to see that in his new show. I would love to see TV3 encouraging that talent. And I would love to be part of an audience to appreciate it.

So Paul, I look forward to a solid, professional, engaging, performance from you.

Just leave the clown nose at home this time. Ok?

This blogpost was first published on The Daily Blog on 9 January 2014.

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