The Patrick Gower Hour of Power – The Nation review

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POW.

Paddy seems to have had a firecracker lit under him. Spurned perhaps by these types of unkind memes…

 

Gower-and-Smith

 

…Paddy has struck back with one of the best interviews with John Key I’ve  seen. The Nation proved today that they are prepared to be just as critical of National as they are with Labour, and for that we should be thankful.

Gower’s interview is maybe the first time I’ve ever really seen Key rattled. Gower’s throw away ‘So Judith Collins gets away scot free’,  had Key unnerved. You could see the set up by Gower coming a mile away and Key only seems to click where it’s going near the end of his answer. Gower gives Key all the rope he needs as Key frolics away damning Cunliffe for not revealing 2 anonymous donors  and then Paddy drops the hammer by asking Key why he shouldn’t make all 21 anonymous diners at a restaurant fund raiser public that raised over $100 000 for National.

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Key  goes grey.

He stammers out a justification, Gower damns him with his own criticism of Cunliffe and holds him to the exact same standards. It’s very uncomfortable for Key. Paddy brings up another example of another dinner that raised $60 000.

The problem for Key is that Labour’s leadership race isn’t covered by the Electoral Act,  Key’s fund raising is.

Colin Craig once he pushes past all the questions about him being a chemtrail flake who is using  a defamation case as an electoral stunt actually gets to some of the policy the Conservative Party stands for and proves why he is far more dangerous than the media give him credit. His pressure point policies and ideas are the conservative values of the National Party that aren’t getting voice and he has the ability to score 3%+ in the election. If Key is desperate, Murray will be told to get in line, the decision on a hot milo in East Coast Bays will be made 2 weeks out from election day.

The panel is  far better than the awful one last week. Bryce Edwards, Michele Boag and the brilliant Annabelle Lee-Harris.

Michelle slanderously insinuates Unite gave money to Cunliffe, that’s a lie. Claims a Cabinet Minister with the history of Collins is ‘naive’ about going overseas. Bryce makes excellent point about how different Key treated Worth and Collins.  Annabelle perceptively points out the difference between McCully and Key’s position on East Coast Bays.

Excellent Panel debate.

Well done The Nation.

 

 

11 COMMENTS

  1. Key stops short of saying “I’m taking a principled stance” but maintains “We play by the rules”

  2. Can’t help thinking they are struggling to mend their broken self image and widely held awareness of their previous totally pro tory slant and their decimated credibility. Still, much better. Can’t quite remeber if Boag is a convicted felon for her supplying the defence with video evidence to study in the winebox trial. Her proven dishonesty should be thoroughly exposed and repeatedly highlighted.

    • Nope, you’ve got the wrong model of the TV journos in your head.
      They’re basically sharks trying to get a whiff of blood in the water. If they smell it they will go after it ruthlessly. National knows this and has been playing the game well, Labour is only now catching up after months of torpor. The great news for us on the left is that National has some massive weaknesses which I expect Labour/Greens to attack, especially now that McCarten is in there. That lad knows how to fight.

  3. Lets hope Gower doesn’t chop up the interview for the 6pm news like he did with Cunliffe last week. The 6pm edit was less like an interview, and more like a ‘choose your own adventure’ novel

    • Well said Fatty, I’d say Paddy’s political masters might force a savage edit along the lines that you have conjectured. Especially given that Paddy has aspirations as the heir apparent NACT media spokesperson when Corrin Dann goes on his holidays.

  4. I agree with you, apart from your remarks about the panel. I don’t think I heard a full sentence that Bryce Edwards said. Michelle Boag was allowed to dominate with her shrill arguments. She was definitely in clean-up mode, probably in shock at how weak JK was. The panel members themselves were good, but Paddy allowed Michelle too much oxygen.

  5. “The Nation proved today that they are prepared to be just as critical of National as they are with Labour, and for that we should be thankful.”

    Whilst thankful that it sounds like The News Goblin has taken a swipe at National, The News Goblin would have to ‘make shit up’ about National and have it pounded again and again on TV3 news and The Herald in order to be seen to be ‘just as critical of National as they are with Labour’

    I guess you stipulated it was ‘The Nation’ that proved they are balanced in their attacks – Not The News Goblin – but just the same….there remains a substantive difference in an attack based on fact and one that is simply made up and propagated throughout our media sources.

    This wee issue remains to be addressed.

    A resounding acknowledgement that this is what has occurred and an apology that is repeated for a few months in all information sources would be a good start – I suggest you get to it Mr Patrick Gower.

  6. It is good that this has been brought to NZ’s attention;but proof that there is any modicum of fairness and consistency out there will be how it is reported on tv news,on the radio and in the papers.Will it be the lead story on tv -cut and pasted to make Key look as bad as possible for 5 nights straight a’la David Cunliffe?Will Paul Henry be asking, “who really is John Key”,a’la David Cunliffe?Will The Hearld run a sustained ,let’s take it in turns vitriolic attack, between Armstrong,O’sullivan,Trevett,Manhire (to name but a few)for the next 7 days straight?Will Radio Live and 1ZB run a sustained wall to wall 6am to 7pm campaign rubbishing, everything Key says, does and stands for,a’la David Cunliffe? If not.Why not?

  7. If Colin Craig gets into parliament and doesn’t like what people say about him, will he just change the law so that they are no longer able to?

  8. It takes more than one “good” interview with Key, for Gower to regain any slightest bit of trust in my eyes. He may have just read the damning criticism of his weeks long biased, undermining reporting on Cunliffe, and thought, hey I better do something to “appear” more balanced. Next week he may be back to his old tricks.

    I have little faith in the privately owned and run media, as in the end, they will play their role in maintaining the status quo.

    There is little interest TV3 and their owners would have in better and more attractive, higher quality public broadcasting, as that would only be unwanted competition for viewers. It is easier and cheaper for them to keep feeding us the simple staple diet of trivia and distraction, than produce quality programs.

    So even if they would let Labour have a chance to perhaps get better media exposure, it would be on their terms, to keep most as it is, and only do a few tweaks on the edges.

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