MEDIAWATCH: Is Thomas Coughlan really enough to justify NZ Herald subscription (spoiler: no he is not)

Yawn

Thomas Coughlan: My verdict on Labour’s alleged ‘hidden bill’ and your chance to see if you can make the spending add up

The National Party has alleged Labour has a ‘hidden bill’ in its spending plans, arguing its promises aren’t matched with funding to pay for them. Political Editor Thomas Coughlan looked at the allegations. At the bottom of this story, a budget calculator allows readers to take their own tough choices to make Labour’s promises add up.

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NZME

Look.

Coughlan has no contacts inside Labour, Te Pati Māori or the Greens so what he wants to invent is fine and dandy, here’s the reality.

Nicola Willis has created a phantom budget which Coughlan is writing fan fiction for.

The real budget hole is the $55billion National hasn’t funded for the Roads of National Significance…

…Steven Joyce pulled the same stunt back in 2017 before Thomas had entered college so let’s forgive him for not knowing, but  it really does demand the question that now Matthew Hooton has left the Herald whether Thomas Coughlan is enough to justify the subscription price and based on his latest ‘My verdict’ ego trip, I’m going to say no.

This is a real problem for the Herald.

Fran O’Sullivan and Audrey Young justify the subscription, but after Simon Wilson left, poor old Joe Lose getting the boot and now Hooton,  Coughlan just isn’t enough to justify the sub.

Because Hooton was the largest reason people subscribed to the paywall, losing him means NZME could see a huge drop in subscribers and The Post pick up a massive increase.

Coughlan’s ‘verdict’ ain’t helping.

If you came for the Hooton, why would you stay for the doubting Thomas?