Kiwiblog

Sue Bradford is on Backbenches tonight – one of her last acts as an MP.

The panel is:

• Sue Bradford, Greens
• John Boscawen, ACT
• Annette King, Labour
• Chester Borrows, National

Topics include:

• Educational Standards and the 3 Rs
• Should you eat your family dog as they are worse for the environment than a 4.6L land cruiser?

Backbenches screens at 9.10 pm on TVNZ7, or watch live at the Backbencher.

After some lobbying on my behalf, Backbenches has arranged MPs Paul Quinn and Trevor Mallard to be on the same panel tomorrow night.

Now for those who don’t know, Paul and Trevor both stood for Hutt South, both are pretty adept at winding each up, and both can be pretty stroppy fellas.

So it should be a wonderful night’s viewing. I recommend getting in early for a seat. And bring popcorn.

While the show should be entertainment enough, I’ve been thinking we could make it even more enjoyable for spectators with the launch of the Mallard-Quinn drinking game. The proposed rules are:

• Drink one sip if either interject each other
• Drink one sip if either puts the other down
• Drink two sips if either appears to compliment the other, but it is really a veiled insult
• Drink two sips if either use a moderate term of abuse (idiot, dumb, thick etc)
• Drink three sips if either use one of the seven banned words.
• Drink four sips if use of if the seven banned words is in a way which is anatomically impossible
• Drink five sips if one of them whacks the other. Drink a bonus sip if they accidentally hit Wallace by mistake.
• Scull the jug if they agree with each other

Additional rule suggestions are welcome.

UPDATE: The Paul Quinn fan club has suggested the official names for the bout should be Mallard the Hammer v the Maori side-step Quinn, and they are backing Moimoi Quinn.

• Peter Dunne, United Future
• Charles Chauvel, Labour
• John Hayes, National

Topics include becoming a republic and paid parental leave.

They film at Backbencher live from 9pm tonight – but people turn up from about 7.30 to get a good spot and primed.

Watch on Freeview 7 or Sky 97 or online  tvnz.co.nz/backbenches

A great fun episode of Backbenches last night. Literally over a quarter of Parliament (we counted 32 MPs) was in attendance as the House has risen before 6 pm due to a lack of private members bills to debate. There was also a lot of people who had been there to see the VSM Bill (which passed yay).

The absolute most hilarious part of the night (in fact of the series) came from Hone Harawira (who was in the audience). Wallace had asked the four panelists about should there be an H in Wanganui. After the panellist had their say (and one funny answer was that the Government should agree to the decision to include the H as it is promoting literacy standards in schools and that includes correct spelling).

Anyway Wallace then asked some of those in the audience, and eventually Hone Harawira, who was standing next to Shane Jones. Hone’s response was:

Well my mate Jonesy just told me that spelling Wanganui without an H is like spelling Cunliffe without a T.

There was a moment of stunned silence, and then the place went into hysterics. I’m not sure but I think the Labour MPs may have been laughing even harder than the National MPs. I’d say it took almost a minute before Wallace could carry on with the show.

The quip about poor old David Cunliffe having a silent T is his name is not a new one. It first originated around nine years ago when he became an MP, and legend credits it to one of his colleagues. But what was unique about this situation was:

1. It was the first time someone had used the quip on live nationwide television
2. It was also the first time someone had used it in front of DC himself. Yes he was one of the 32 or so MPs in the pub audience

Wallace of course then went into the audience to ask DC for a comment, and he did take it all in good humour.

The genius of Hone’s comments was saying the Shane Jones had quipped it to him. Because Jones has a robust enough sense of humour that you couldn’t rule out that he might just have quipped that to Hone. As it happens Hone did admit to me that he did make it up and attributed it to Shane Jones as some “whanau love”.

As I said, it was a great fun episode with a packed pub and a quarter of Parliament there. If the Speaker had turned up, they could have probably convened a session and passed some laws! I was one of the last to leave and for my sins have lost my voice this morning!

The New Zealand Republic Handbook is being launched at Parliament tonight.

The Handbook is a guide to creating a New Zealand republic and covers the issues of New Zealand becoming a republic plus the arguments for and against republicanism in New Zealand.

The launch is in the Grand Hall at Parliament. Drinks and nibbles start at 5.30 pm and speechs are from 6 pm to 6.30 pm. Speakers are Hon Peter Dunne from United Future, Phil Twyford from Labour, Hauraki-Waikato MP Nanaia Mahuta and Green MP Keith Locke plus Republican Movement Chair Lewis Holden. And so long as my dentist appointment at 10 am today doesn’t end up involving anaesthetics, I am the MC for the function.

MPs, parliamentary staff and press gallery are all welcome to attend. Around 30 MPs, from pretty much every party, have already RSVP’d but there is no need to do so if you work in Parliament. If you do not work at Parliament and would like to attend e-mail events@republic.org.nz so your name can be given to security.

After that Parliament should be debating the 1st reading of the VSM Bill which will restore to tertiary students the right to decide if they want to join a student association or not. Not that many laws result in more freedom, not less, so worth supporting.

And later that evening, we have Backbenches at the Backbencher, with live filming from 9.10 pm. MPs are:

• John Boscawen, ACT
• Keith Locke, Greens
• Damien O’Connor, Labour
• Pesata Sam Lotu-Iiga

Topics include how to spell Wanganui and what should be on Letterman’s Top Ten for John Key.

Back Benches is in Auckland, filming live from the Northern Steamship bar (122 Quay Street) tonight, debating the Super City.

Panellists are Rodney Hide (ACT), Pita Sharples (Maori Party), Sue Bradford (Green Party), John Carter (National) and Phil Twyford (Labour).

Topics up for discussion are the Maori seats, what the city is going to look like under the proposed changes, the submissions, and the power of the Super Mayor.

Most of the Mayors are also confirmed to attend on the evening so should be a fun debate.

One can also watch it live on TVNZ7 at 9.10 pm. There will be no BB on Wednesday in Wellington and the Auckland show will replay that evening.

MPs:

• Katrina Shanks, National
• Russel Norman, Greens
• Chris Hipkins, Labour
• Paul Quinn, National

Topics include the ETS and death threats.

On TVNZ7 or watch live at the Backbencher from 9 pm.

Guests:

• ACT MP Sir Roger Douglas
• Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty
• Labour MP Iain Lees-Galloway
• National MP David Bennett.

Topics:

• The smacking referendum is back and voters say a smack as part of good parental correction should not be a criminal offence—so, what now?
• Should gay and lesbian couples be allowed to adopt children?

9.10 pm on TVNZ 7 or live at the Backbencher on Molesworth Street.

The pub here in Kingsland is packed – well over 200 people here – MPs, activists, supporters – a who’s who of NZ politics almost.

The audience is very noisy it will be hard to hear it all. But TVNZ have kindly arranged a place near the front for us, so will try my best.

Labour/Green supporters booing when ACT candidate introduced. I absolutely hate the boors who do that. You cheer your side and heckle the other side – but just booing is pathetic and puerile.

Just did a clip about the David Bain trial. Wallace did not mention he was a witness!

Each candidate saying why they should be the MP – 30 seconds each.

Nothing new.

Now they are doing a Mt Albert trivia quiz. Lee doing well.

Vox Pop on Government’ proposed motorway option – 6 support, 4 against.

God there are a lot of MPs here – even some from Dunedin – and you paid for all their travel!

Very hard to hear. Wallace needs to take control.

Signing off – can’t hear enough – lots of fun though – people should be here.

Backbenches tonight will be in Auckland – at the Neighbourhood Brew Bar, 498 New North Road. It starts at 9 pm, but come early for good positioning.

For those who don’t get Freeview, I’ll be live blogging it tonight, and Whale Oil will be live twittering on #MtAlbert. You can also watch it later on TVNZ on Demand.

The four main candidates are speaking plus United Future candidate Judy Turner.

The Dom Post reports:

Business studies lecturer Hamish McCracken, Auckland city councillor Glenda Fryer, Auckland University politics head tutor Meg Bates and employment lawyer Helen White have all confirmed their candidacies.

I would be surprised if McCracken has much of a chance. Not based on any specific knowledge, but the reality he has stood many times before for Labour and never been ranked highly. In 1999 he was no 60, in 2002 no 52, in 2005 no 49 and in 2005 no 50. I can’t see a fifth time lucky.

Bates is well regarded and well connected as a former electorate agent. Her age will be a factor though. Helen White could do very well too – she has a professional career established, and has union support.

Fryer is more unlikely, but not as unlikely as McCracken. She doesn’t particularly represent rejuvenation, and her Auckland City Council junket draconian attempt to ban sign billboards will be fresh in some minds.

But the potential candidate cited as Miss Clark’s favoured successor, list MP Phil Twyford, is still deciding whether to put his name forward a week before nominations close. Mr Twyford said he had discussed the matter with senior party members, but declined to comment further.

Twyford is a popular and respected MP for Labour. Definitely one of the stars of the future, and no doubt wants a safe seat as security. But by pure bad luck the Tizard issue is a real factor, and no one knows how much. So his choice is does he go for Mt Albert in 2009, or wait for another safe seat to come up, such as Mt Roskill in probably 2014?

At Backbenchers last night they discussed the Tizard issue, and it is fair to say no one was wamly welcoming the possible return. In fact there was a hilarious moment as Wallace Chapman went up to the loudest noisiest most partisan pro-Labour table, and asked them if they wanted Judith Tizard back in Parliament. One of them fell mute, while another could only repeat the official script that the issue is about the best candidate, not about who comes in on the list. You know there are problems, when not even your most partisan crowd supporters will say on camera they want Judith back.

And over on Labour Grassroots, members and supporters are not keen. Some quotes:

Suzanne says:

Headlines that say “Goff: Happy to have Judith Tizard back” says nothing to me about a party that wants to revitalise, bring in some new faces, get behind some issues that central Aucklanders care about.Like the Supercity, the environment. If Labour is behind Tizard it makes a mockery of the party recreating getting more in touch with its grassroots.

And Tanya:

Still, the voters are pretty MMP savvy these days, and I believe will be annoyed at Goff for backing Tizard back into parliament, after the voters said no.

And Darren:

Well said, Suzanne. I could not agree more. Labour needs ‘new blood’ everywhere, and to be SEEN to be bringing new faces in at every opportunity. Ms. Tizard did not strike me as a particularly effective MP. Certainly her hand on the on the intellectual property tiller steered it way off course and into the sea of stupidity…. witness the mess of s92a!?!

Her electorate obviously didn’t think she did a good job either, so why the hell would Phil want her back? Regardless of his motivation, which was obviously to keep Tizards’ supporters happy in touchy electoral times, it just makes our Parliamentary leader look horrendously out of touch.

And finally Caitlin:

This whole hullaballoo about Judith Tizard was started by media rumours (probably started by political opposition) and while some Labour activists and supporters may have qualms, we have to continue to pull together as a party to make sure we win this seat. We can’t be complacent – an assumption of victory was one of the problems with the Auckland Central campaign.

Caitlin is right that a party needs to be unified to win, but how motivated will supporters be to bring Judith back into Parliament?

There is also an associated danger with all this. The media will cover the by-election, and the media always have to have some big issues for the by-election. In TKC it was Stratford Hospital. In Tamaki it was send Wellington a message. Now with Mt Albert there may be no big issues on policy – National has just won an election and has gone so centrist it is probably going to even cancel the future tax cuts a couple of weeks before the by-election. So it is hard to see that there will be major policy issues at play in the by-election (unless the Govt decides to knock down 400 local homes for a motorway). But if there are no major policy issues, then issues such as the Tizard dilemma will become a major issue, because the media will make it an issue. They’ll do vox pops on the street asking people about it. They’ll do electorate polls and publish them. People will ask questions at meet the candidate meetings.

Now maybe Mt Albert voters won’t give a damn, even if the media do. They might only care about who will be their local MP, not who will enter Parliament as a result of their vote. But this is the fun thing with by-elections – they are notoriously unpredictable – and with the Greens planning a vigorous campaign, it really will be interesting.

UPDATE: Today’s Dom Post editorial talks about the Tizard issue, noting:

Though the parliamentary party is in capable hands leader Phil Goff and deputy Annette King are respected for their knowledge Labour must nonetheless now find a new generation of leaders to carry the party forward.

How ironic, then, that the departure of Miss Clark and Dr Cullen might reopen the door for two has-beens, Damien O’Connor and Judith Tizard. …

A party that is poised to welcome back Mr O’Connor and Ms Tizard is far from positioned to resume the Treasury benches.

Tonight’s Backbenches will debate our archaic and inconsistent easter trading laws where shops in some areas can open, but not others. And you are not allowed to earn money on Easter Sunday (which is not a public holiday) but can on Easter Monday (which is a public holiday).

The MPs are:

• Todd McClay – National, Rotorua
• Steve Chadwick – Labour, ex Rotorua
• John Boscawen, ACT
• Sue Bradford, Greens

Also appearing are:

• Charles Finny, Wgtn Chamber of Commerce
• David Kiddey, Hutt Chamber of Commerce
• Andrew Little, EPMU National Secretary
• Melanie Sergent, Powerhouse Community Church Minister
• Michael Smith, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand (do gooding doolies)

As usual screens on TVNZ7 just after 9 pm, or watch live at the Backbencher.

Easter Trading debates always amuse me as you get an unholy coalition of the religious right and the union left, combining forces to stop employees from being able to earn extra money.

Backbenches tonight has two former Finance Ministers on it – Roger Douglas and Michael Cullen. It should be a great show. Starts at 9 pm so best to get there by 8.30 pm.

Was a small crowd but a fun night at Back Benches last night. All the MPs were relaxed and did well, but I do have to say that Shane Jones was bloody funny.

You can view the episode here, but some classic lines from Shane were:

Been back down to the West Coast. You know its a bit problematic when every third person is reminding you “Hey Jonesy we didn’t like being called feral”.

Much better than denying she ever said it as Goff did.

Found a local pest in the form of Mr Auchinvole, so 1080 has been deployed.

Chris Auchinvole is the National MP.

send a search party to Boni Beach and bring them all home

Talking about missing fathers.

Getting local government leaders in Auckland to agree on anything is not for the faint hearted

On transport in Auckland.

You’ve got the Brown Haka party in the South, teh Greens and the petrol heads in the West and the South Africans in North Shore – I’m sure it will all come together.

A unique way to describe the different parts of Auckland!

Finally we had this classic after a video clip of Phil Goff pouring a pint of beer with a huge (over half the glass) head on it:

The last boss we had, you didn’t joke about her head, or you lost your own.

That one brought the bar down.

On Backbenches tonight:

1. National MP Aaron Gilmore
2. Maori MP Rahui Katene
3. Labour MP Shane Jones.

The topic is Bullies and Books.

As usual starts just after 9 pm at the Backbencher or on TVNZ7.

Tonight at the Back Bencher pub there are two Back Benches … one is a Special at 8pm on the Job Summit, the other is the regular Back Benches, filmed live just after 9pm.

The panel for the Back Benches Special is a mix of politicians and business experts … Trevor Mallard, Sue Bradford, Phil O’Reilly from Business NZ and Charles Finny from the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. They’ll discuss the effects of the recession on us and what some of the solutions might be.

The regular Back Benches will look at the first 100 days of the John Key government, the report on Corrections and whether the NZ Maori Team should go to South Africa? The panel will be Peter Dunne, Heather Roy, Russel Norman and Chris Hipkins.

I’m going along – should be interesting to see the earlier one especially as hopefully not just squabbling MPs

The election may be over but Backbenches carries on. Tonight:

• David Garrett, ACT List MP
• Keith Locke, Green List MP
• Charles Chauvel, Labour List MP
• Nikki Kaye, National MP for Auckland Central

They’ll be talking about the new Government, and voter turnout. So come along to teh Backbencher by 8.30 pm for a 9 pm start. Or watch it on TVNZ7.

Should also serve as a good excuse for people to have a couple of drinks to celebrate or commiserate the election outcome.

Is this photo of Rodney Hide, Josie Pagani and Charles Chauvel at Backbenches the start of the ACT-Progressive-Labour Coalition, or something else?

Enter your captions below. Just keep them clean.

Tonight at 9 pm live at the Backbencher or on TVNZ7.

• Kevin Hague, Greens
• Hamish McDouall, Labour
• Nikki Kaye, National
• Derek Fox, Maori

Two fun opportunities for people interested in the Wellington Central race.

First we have the four main candidates on Backbenches tonight. Stephen Franks, Grant Robertson, Sue Kedgley and Heather Roy. They’;; be talking about the economy, tax cuts and why you should vote for them!

I suspect a big audience tonight so pay to be there early. The show screens at 9.10 pm on TVNZ7.

Also iPredict has launched a set of three Wellington Central stocks.

You can invest in a Grant Robertson victory, a Stephen Franks victory or a “Other” victory in Wellington Central. The share will pay $1 if you win and the initial offer price is 55.5c for Grant, 43.5c for Stephen and 1c for Other.

Advanced investors can also buy a bundle of all three shares for exactly $1. If the combined price of all three is over $1, then you can make money buying the bundle and selling the individual stocks (or just the stock you think is over priced).