This morning in New Zealand politics can best be summed up with one fantastic image.
I dragged myself out of bed at the ungodly hour of 9am to tune in to the first leaders’ debate of the election season – and it’s mostly Colin Craig’s fault. Had he not taken legal action to force the producers to give him a speaking slot I might honestly have missed that it was even on!
For that, and for trying to talk over Metiria Turei, resulting in the photo above, you have my grudging thanks, Colin.
In the true spirit of 21st century pseudo-journalism, here are my thoughts (and some others’) as they were tweeted in real time.
Lisa Owen thanks the crew for "heroic efforts" to make accommodations for CC #votenz @TheNationTV3
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Metiria on selling farmland: Greens have led on this issue, National has delib. allowed sale into foreign ownership #votenz @TheNationTV3
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Peters: selling farmland to foreign interests is "silly" #votenz @TheNationTV3
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Whyte says "communistic" – DRINK! #votenz @TheNationTV3
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Flavell okay with leasing, partnerships, not sale #votenz @TheNationTV3
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Harawira wants to stop the sale of ALL assets – land, power companies – need "control of our own future" #votenz @TheNationTV3
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
(Sale to overseas buyers, obviously.)
Dunne says "xenophobia" – DRINK! #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Craig says he's against sales, Lisa Owen points out he's meant to be pro-business #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Metiria interjects: it IS the role of government to manage our limited natural resources, including land #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Dunne trying to sound reasonable – jobs, opportunity – Peters just says "nup, no jobs, no new exports, it's a corporate raid" #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Flavell insists Maori Party are a "strong independent voice" not "propping up govt" #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Craig says "green tape" – DRINK #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
LOL Metiria actually "talk to the hand"-ed at Colin talking over her #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Dunne tries to be hoity-toity over "racist" debate around home sales #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Peters refers to selling houses to foreigners as "treachery" – DRINK! #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Harawira dodges qn about Maori Party, talks reality of Maori unemployment: "absolute disgrace". MANA believes in full employment #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
4/7 leaders in the support party debate are Maori
— Danyl Mclauchlan (@danylmc) August 8, 2014
Dunne talks about "continuing in this direction" re economic growth – sounds like a rubber stamp to National to me #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Metiria: "National's pollution economy" – DRINK #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
(It’s a great line, but also a deliberately-engineered political meme.)
Metiria calls for a "smarter economy", Dunne shouts "you have to pay for your ~dreams~" #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Whyte says increasing minimum wage leads to youth unemployment, Metiria says "Not true" #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Dunne's bottom line: FlexiSuper #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Flavell's top priority: a relationship accord – C&S – and Whanau Ora #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Harawira: if IMP hits 5% he's guaranteed to get a call. Wants to eliminate child poverty in 5 years. #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Whyte's top priority: economic growth, cutting regulation. Metiria giggling at him. #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Owen calls Craig Peters' doppelganger. Everyone laughs #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Craig's top priority: binding referenda #TheNation #nosurprise
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Colin Craig heckles like a six-year-old. "I bet you are!!!" #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Peters' top priority: a sound economy based on export growth, GDP the size of Norway #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Peters: "I get on with everybody who has a reasonable view on a reasonable thing" #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Metiria: Greens won't settle for a single achievement #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Feels like Turei and Peters are professional politicians in a room full of amateurs
— Danyl Mclauchlan (@danylmc) August 8, 2014
Mid show Repot:
Good: Peters, Turei, Harawira, Dunne
Bad: Whyte
Indifferent: Flavell, Craig #thenation— Aunty Wah Wah (@_surlymermaid_) August 8, 2014
Peters wants to ban gangs, especially for Maori youth #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Whyte denies wanting to send more people to prison, just THREATENING to do so. Metiria may be dead from giggling #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Dunne: "populist rubbish" – DRINK #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Who believes crime is down? Dunne/Flavell/Peters waffle, Metiria "No", Harawira "prison numbers up", Jamie: "Yes", Colin "Some" #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Harawira: "back kaupapa Maori to lift kids out of that situation" #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Harawira would replace GST with capital gains and "luxury" taxes #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Dunne thinks GST is "simple, neat and clean" #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Dunne tries to shame Peters over how long ago he was in government. Um. #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Metiria on transport: reallocating funding towards what the public wants: better public transport, road safety, some motorways #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
TALK TO THE HAND, COLIN #TheNation #metiriarules
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
This 'talk to the hand' moment where @metiria wiped floor with Colin Craig made my weekend #nzpol pic.twitter.com/NrA7xqdg7t
— Peter Graczer (@petergraczer) August 8, 2014
Craig refers to talking about the Treaty as "navel-gazing" #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Jamie doesn't understand the comparison between race-blindness in the law and privileged access to legal defence #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Winston: "bro-rocracy" getting all the benefits of Treaty settlements – DRINK #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
I'm declaring Winston and Metiria co-winners. Jamie Whyte tho. #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
Whyte clearly isn't used to challenges, especially from loud bolshy people who don't back down in the face of his credentials #TheNation
— Stephanie Rodgers (@bootstheory) August 8, 2014
(Full credit to @petergraczer for the fantastic pic of Metiria’s take-no-crap attitude.)
Stephanie Rodgers 
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