Hamish Rutherford at Stuff reports:

Dunedin Dave Cull is defending a “gentleman’s” agreement which saw a former MP paid $3400 for lobbying following a handshake deal.

Documents released under the Official Information Act reveal that former Dunedin North MP Pete Hodgson was paid by the council to lobby the Government not to strip core functions of Ag Research Limited from Invermay, near Dunedin.

The council said the main point of contact for the deal with Hodgson was Cull, but could not locate a single email, contract or any other document relating to the agreement. Hodgson had provided “lobbying and advocating” on behalf of council, and that he had “contributed” to a letter to Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and a submission written to the board of Ag Research.

“Mr Hodgson did not provide any reports relating to his services,” governance support officer Grace Ockwell said.

Cull, a former TV personality, denied personally hiring Hodgson, but defended the deal. “I could describe it as a gentleman’s way of doing business in the south,” Cull said. He would be uncomfortable if the council always negotiated contracts verbally, but in this instance he was not concerned.

Taxpayers’ Union executive director Jordan Williams questioned whether the spending was appropriate.

“Though it’s a small amount, it suggests that Dunedin Council isn’t applying the most basic internal controls,” Williams said. What other government agency spends $3400 without any documentation?”

I have no real issue with the Dunedin City Council paying Pete Hodgson to lobby for them on an issue..

But to pay $3,400 with no contract, no agreement, no report, no agreed deliverables and not even an invoice is near unheard of.

If Cull did not hire Hodgson, who did? The ratepayers do not know, because there is no documentation.

A former Minister of the Crown of all people should make sure any contracts that involved public money being paid to himself are clearly documented and agreed. A verbal agreement between a former Minister and a City Council fails the most basic transparency test.

More info on this at the Taxpayers Union. It seems the $3,400 was for assisting with two letters!

An interesting article on election year and bloggers in the Herald on Sunday.

I was interviewed for the article, but I think what I said didn’t fit in with the general angle, so none of my quotes were included. I rejected the notion pushed by Bradbury that the old rules are gone, and that there is licence to be incredibly vicious. I also rejected that I have a blog persona that is different to whom I am in real life. In fact in an interesting conversation with the journalist, I ended up agreeing that the “blog” me is closer to the real me, than the TV or radio me, as the blog is my territory, while on TV and radio I am mindful that I am a guest and I guess on my “guest” behaviour.

Anyway an interesting article. And congrats to Whale for winning the Netguide Award. It would have been a travesty if he had not won this year.

Stuff reports:

Kim Dotcom’s extradition hearing is likely to be delayed by eight months – and the internet mogul believes it is because of this year’s election.

It’s likely to be delayed as Dotcom is appealing to the Supreme Court. Nothing to do with the election.

Dotcom wants the cloned hard drives returned to New Zealand. He says without them his legal team can’t prepare for the hearing.  

That seems difficult to comprehend. They are clones. How can the location of them affect his access to the original? It sounds like a red herring.

It was bad that the FBI were allowed to take a clone, which was not authorised by the court. There should be consequences for that breach. So I am not excusing that. But again, how does the existence and location of the clones drives impact the ability to go to trial? It sounds like an excuse to delay to me.

The Herald editorial says:

At a first glance, Housing Minister Nick Smith’s announcement of a warrant-of-fitness scheme on state homes seemed like a step forward that was as significant as it was welcome.  …

On closer examination, however, there was much less reason for applause. The final words of Dr Smith’s announcement made it clear that the Government had not decided to apply the warrant of fitness to the private rental market or other social housing providers. Urgency on this issue is clearly not high on its agenda.

I think urgency and haste could backfire.

Dr Smith excused this inactivity on the basis that the Government should get its own housing stock in order first, and that the trial of 500 of its homes would show how a warrant of fitness could work. But there is little reason new rules for all rental housing could not be readily introduced.

I wonder if the writer of the editorial has ever been a landlord?

The trial includes a comprehensive 49-point checklist that means homes must be insulated and dry, safe and secure, and contain essential amenities such as bathroom and kitchen facilities. Each home will have to pass this checklist to get a warrant every three years. Any snags in this arrangement should quickly become apparent and be easily remedied. In only a matter of months, it should be possible to roll out the scheme to the private market. The Government, however, is unwilling to even signal that intention.

I think the person writing this has no idea about how demanding such a WOF would be. They think you can roll it out untested, and just makes any fixes as you go along. They think that one can suddenly have an army of house inspectors.

It could well be that there is merit in eventually rolling out the WOF scheme to private sector rental housing, but the history of Government is that of unforeseen consequences. If getting an WOF is too much of a hassle, or too costly to comply with, then it may lead to fewer houses being available to rent – which would push rental prices up for all tenants.

It is time to place some obligations on those offering homes for rent. Already, they benefit from tax breaks and untaxed capital gains. 

The Government has actually got rid of the tax breaks by eliminating the ability to claim depreciation on (most) investment properties. So I am unsure what this tax break is that the editorial refers to. And yes the capital gain is generally untaxed, but that is not derived from renting the property out.

I purchased a new apartment in 2011, and looked at keeping my old one and turning it into a rental investment property. I decided not to, as the potential return from renting it was so low after you account for rates, body corporate fees and maintenance, that it wouldn’t even cover the interest on the mortgage.

There are potentially benefits from a WOF scheme for rental housing, but the last thing you want is to have Government impose a mandatory new requirement on landlords without knowing how costly it would be, and how it might impact on supply and rental prices. Many things sound great on paper, but turn into disasters when they hit the real world.

The Herald reports:

Jenny Salesa has been selected as Labour’s Manukau East Candidate for the 2014 General Election.

Labour Party President Moira Coatsworth said Ms Salesa was selected from a strong field of eight candidates following Ross Robertson MP’s announcement that he was to step down at the election after 27 years as the local MP.

Ms Salesa said she has an extensive background working in both the public and private sectors as a lawyer, health specialist, policy analyst and senior official.

“I have been able to achieve transformations in practice and policy in both the United States and New Zealand.

“I have extensive experience and passion for health and education (early childhood and tertiary), with a career long focus on undeserved communities.”

Ms Salesa looks to be a good selection for Labour. Their Manukau East candidate is almost certain to become an MP, and at some stage Labour will become Government again – so it is good to see them make a selection where the candidate looks capaable and competent and potentially Cabinet material.

There is a copy of her CV on Scoop. Her work with the Early Childhood Investment Corporation in Michigan looks very interesting, as it involved PPPs to provide better heathcare.

Hollyford Treasure, Fiordland, New Zealand

Along the stunning drive toward Milford Sound there are literally countless opportunities to keep a landscape photographer excited  for a very long time. I came across this opening in the Hollyford River early in the morning which allowed me to use a long exposure to capture the clear flowing water and lushness of the forest behind.

I am looking forward to heading back to this area soon on my next South Island trip.

Cheers Richard

Claire Trevett at NZ Herald reports:

The Green Party has lobbied the television networks to take part in prime-time televised leaders’ debates during the election campaign alongside Labour’s David Cunliffe and Prime Minister John Key rather than being lumped in with the minor parties.

I’m all for Labour and Greens taking turns at being the Leader who goes up against Key, but the reality is these debates are about showcasing the two people who may be Prime Minister after the election.

Andrew Campbell, the Green’s communications director, confirmed it had put in a formal request to both networks to debate National and Labour rather than the smaller parties because it was in a much stronger position in the polls.

“It seems ridiculous to put a party with a genuine strong support base, a significant portion of the electorate, in the same debate as people who can’t even win their own seat without the help of another party. Why would we debate a person who can’t even win it’s own seat without help?”

Why would a party on 51% debate a party on 8%, using the Green’s own logic?

I do understand where they are coming from to a degree – that they and NZ First are medium sized parties compared to some of the “minnows”. Maybe the solution is to just have a medium sized leaders debate between a Green co-leader and Winston. That would be entertaining.

National’s campaign chair Steven Joyce said National wanted to keep the one-on-one debates but that did not necessarily mean Russel Norman would miss out. “We will be very happy to debate with the leader of the largest Opposition party at the time. You never know, maybe the Greens will get there. They’re not that far behind.”

They’re a fair way behind now, as Labour’s campaign strategy appears to be to take votes of the Green at the same rate as they lose centrist voters to National.

The Dom Post reports:

Wellington City Council is facing a budget blowout on its living wage policy, just two months after becoming the first council to adopt it.

Councillors voted 9-5 in December to adopt the living wage for its staff at a rate of $18.40 an hour. But Living Wage Aotearoa, the group that sets the rate, has now raised it to $18.80.

Andy Foster, who voted against the living wage in December, said the increase would lift the wage bill for the 400 staff directly employed by the council by $332,000 a year.

Forcing ratepayers to fund this.

But he warned that figure could blow out to as much as $5 million if it was extended to people working for council-controlled organisations and on council contracts, and if relativity adjustments were made for other staff.

If Employee A is on $15 an hour and Employee B on $19 an hour, and Employee A moves to $18.80 an hour then of course Employee B will want to be paid say $22 an hour to maintain the relativity as Employee B’s job is more skilled.

The latest rise highlighted his philosophical concern that the council had effectively handed control of staff pay-setting to an outside organisation.

But Family Centre social policy researcher Charles Waldegrave, of Lower Hutt, who calculated the figures for Living Wage Aotearoa, defended the latest adjustment saying that, if anything, it was on the low side.

Andy Foster hits the key point here. Those Councillors who voted to pay the living wage have said that they will allow Rev Waldegrave and his mate to determine the wages policy for the entire Council. It is a shocking dereliction of duty.

And the actual living wage based on their own original methodology should be $22.89 an hour. They just decided that such a figure was politically hard to justify, so changed their methodology. So the City Council has not even signed up to a consistent methodology (otherwise they would be paying $22.89 an hour) – they have signed uo to paying whatever figure Rev Waldegrave declares to be the correct one.

A guest post by Jadis:

While it may come out that Countdown Australia have been using illegal tactics against local New Zealand suppliers I suspect something else may be going on.  From my years of experience working with (and against) lobbyists, politicians and corporates on either side of the Tasman, New Zealanders have a slightly different way of operating than our Australian cousins. 

At a very simple level, Australian politicians, lobbyists and corporates seek to ‘win’ by being aggressive and often bullying their opposition into submission.  It could be suggested that Countdown’s people are an example of this.  The interesting thing is they don’t think they are doing anything wrong or unusual because this is the norm in their Australian environment.  Some in the New Zealand commentariat may even think “New Zealanders need to harden up!” It becomes interesting when we look at what the usual New Zealand operating system might be.    

New Zealand politicians, lobbyists and corporates are more likely to use diplomacy and manipulate positions behind the scenes – not obviously right in front of you (or in the media like the Australians so often do).  I’ve enjoyed talking down Australian counterparts explaining to them that being a bully is not how you get a ‘win’ in New Zealand.  Indeed the best wins are the ones where the opposition may not even realise that levers were manoeuvred in various ways – against them. 

Sure, New Zealanders have to put their own ego aside but fordo so for the “greater good” and yes, bottom lines.  It is amazing just how much can be done using fairly polite and diplomatic ways.  It is no surprise that the likes of Rt Hon Helen Clark and Chris Liddell are at the top of their games in the world because… you know what, they aren’t pricks to deal with but still (in some clever way) get their own firm position implemented.  I’d also argue that Rt Hon John Key adopts similar techniques – being very clear of his own position while adopting multi-level approaches to solving the problem.  You don’t get the moniker of ‘Smiling Assassin’ for no reason.

There is a very good reason that New Zealanders are often at the front of deals (for various multinationals) in Asian countries.  We are respectful, we gather information and we look for ways to work together and not necessarily against each other.  Of course, the good operators also know how to crush the opposition using those same techniques.

So, that leads me to the Americans.  Like it or not their way is still via the chequebook and you know what… they are good at it.  They also have size on their side.  Kim Dotcom does not employ clever and calculated German techniques to getting his own way.  He uses the good old fashioned American chequebook.  Of course this only works as long as you have dollars in the bank.  How long can a person promise that people can be paid for helping him?  Or that he has any ability to help them in return? 

The latest One News Colmar Brunton poll (on Curiablog) shows a large change since their last poll in October.

National is up 6% to 51% and the Greens have dropped 5% to 8%. This is the (equal) highest National has polled since the election and the lowest the Greens have polled.

Labour have stayed constant at 34%. Now voters do not tend to defect from the Greens to National. Almost certainly what has happened is National has picked up 5% to 6% off Labour, while Labour has picked up 5% from the Greens. This makes sense, as their giving welfare to families earning up to $150,000 will appeal to hard left voters, but be a total turn off for centrist voters.

Cunliffe has also dropped to 10% in the Preferred PM stakes, and I think is lower than Shearer ever was.

One should never jump to a conclusion off one poll. However the four polls done in February average out at 49% for National, 32% Labour and 10% Greens. That is a 7% lead for National, which is a huge contrast to January when National was 2% behind Labour and Greens combined.

It’s the talk of Wellington how despondent some Labour MPs are. They announced a massive $500 million a year baby bonus policy, and the result was National goes up 6%. The challenge for them is to find a circuit breaker to change the narrative from unlikely to win and not ready for Government.

The challenge for National is to resist arrogance or complacency. A 7% lead can disappear, and under MMP no election is safe.

Slashgear reports:

Don’t expect one whole heck of a lot of tweets coming out of Venezuela in the immediate future as President Nicolas Maduro’s government has shut down the internet and select TV channels. Having shut down Twitter access for the area this past week, Venezuela’s state-run ISP CANTV has been cut in areas such as San Cristobal. This area is a regional capital in the west of the country and CANTV controls the vast majority of internet connectivity in the area.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation made note that Venezuelans working with several different ISPs lost all connectivity on Thursday of this past week. Users lost connectivity to the major content delivery network Edgecast and the IP address which provides access to Twitter’s image hosting service while another block stopped Venezuelan access to the text-based site Pastebin.

Madura won the presidential election as the Socialist Party candidate. His initiatives have included (am not making this up) a “Ministry of Supreme Social Happiness”. I guess he doesn’t see a role for Internet access in happiness.

For the third year in a row, I took part in the AMI Round the Bays. It was excellent weather for it, and great to see so many people out there running or walking.

In 2012 I walked the 7 km race and in 2013 I ran the 7 km race. This year I did the half marathon. It was the first time I had done a race where I had a particular time in mind as a firm goal (up until now, it was more just surviving to the finish line). I was aiming to get under 1 hr 50 minutes and my unofficial time (from the running app) was 1 hr 49 minutes and 40 seconds so was happy with that – around seven minutes quicker than one I did towards end of last year.

The interesting thing is the GPS app said that I ran for a total of 22 kms, not 21.1 kms, at a pace of 4 minutes 58 seconds per km (just over 12 kms/hr). Now normally GPS apps are out by a bit, but not that much. And lots of other people said they got around 22 kms also. Anyway I spoke to someone who was officially involved, and he told me that there was a stuff up and the course was too long. It seems the official distance measurer travels on a cycle behind the leading runners to follow their path, and he had it 600 to 700 metres over the normal length for a half marathon. So if it was over length, then my app says I did the first 21.1 kms in 1 hour 43 minutes 31 seconds. Either way, I’m happy!

In case any of the organisers are reading this, some helpful ideas for next year, which make make a great event even better for participants.

1. Consider having different starting times for the HM and 10 km runners. It really is congested at the beginning.
2. Having pace setters is a great idea, but would be good to have them easier to find. I suggest you have them off to one side where they are clearly visible, and in a logical order where say the 1 hr 25 pace setter is at the front and the 2 hr 15 pace setter at the back. I didn’t find my pace setter until he over took me at around the 15 km mark!
3. The free buses into town are excellent (as are the free entry onto any Go Wellington bus) but a few more of them would be good, as the queue did get very long,
4. Make sure you get the distance right!

But overall such a great event. It isn’t just the run. It is the mini-town at Kilbirnie Park afterwards with so many businesses and organisations there. The free tip top ice blocks were great. A huge number of Xero staff took part – I reckon must be close to 100, which is a decent proportion of their work force.

Next race is in six weeks in Wanaka – the Southern Lakes Half. Is along the Cardrona Valley Road to Lake Wanaka, so should be a beautiful setting for it.

Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell says:

Te Ururoa Flavell, Maori Party Co-Leader, has expressed disappointment at the influence of PPTA in advising Whangarei Boys High teachers to not teach students who attend Te Kura Hourua Te Kapeha Whetu.

“As I understand it the Board of Trustees at Whangarei Boys High was happy to support Kura Hourua students in specific areas such as the visual arts. That type of cooperation has been modelled in the relationships that many other kura establish with general schools, wananga, polytechnics and other education providers across New Zealand. It represents a dynamic relationship that we should surely be fostering in our communities – that the education and learning of our students impacts on us all,” says Te Ururoa Flavell, Maori Party Co-Leader.

“I recognise that Partnership Schools is a major political issue and teachers have a right to their views on educational policy, but what about the kids? Surely we should be putting the best interests of our young people ahead of our politics.”

That would be nice. Boycotts have no place in our education system.

“I was a teacher for many years and I know that the profession prides itself on putting the interests of our children first, but this flies in the face of those values. I would have thought as teachers, that what matters is that every student experiences success. That’s what Te Kapeha Whetu want. That’s what the Maori Party wants. Come on PPTA – surely there are other ways of making political statements that do not impact so immediately on our kids.”

The PPTA must be gravely concerned that charter schools will be successful.

ACT have announced:

Former ACT leader Richard Prebble is returning to politics as the party’s Campaign Director for the 2014 election.

Acting party president Barbara Astill announced Richard Prebble’s appointment as Campaign Director after a board meeting yesterday.

“The appointment of Richard Prebble as Campaign Director means ACT goes into the election with the country’s best election strategist,” said Mrs Astill.

“Richard Prebble is a campaigning legend. He was the architect of ACT’s greatest campaigning victories, including taking ACT from a virtual zero in the polls in 1996 to winning Wellington Central and taking seven MPs into parliament. Under Richard ACT increased its vote in every election. As a Labour MP Richard won the biggest general seat majority in parliament not once but twice.

“Richard Prebble has presented the ACT Board with a campaign strategy to win not only the Epsom electorate but also nine MPs. The ACT Board has endorsed the Prebble campaign plan, which will be presented to the ACT Party Conference at the Villa Maria Estate, Mangere, this Saturday,” said Mrs Astill.

“I have come out of political retirement because Parliament needs at least one party willing to ask the question, where is the money coming from for all these political promises?” said Richard Prebble.

“ACT needed fresh leadership and new ideas. I urged Dr. Jamie Whyte to stand for the leadership. Jamie will take ACT back to the original principles of the Association of Consumers and Taxpayers which made ACT the effective third force in politics.

“I have been reading Jamie Whyte’s articles in the Wall Street Journal for years. He has an extraordinary knowledge of the world economy that will make him a very valuable member of parliament that any party would love to have.

“I have known David Seymour since he was a top engineering student at Auckland University. As someone educated in Epsom, David will be a very good MP for the electorate.

“ACT now has both the policies and the people. It is my job as director to ensure the voters learn about Dr. Jamie Whyte and ACT’s positive, practical solutions. The support will follow.

“A vote for ACT ensures not only that John Key remains Prime Minister, but that a future National-ACT government remains on the course of good financial sense.”

This is a very good move for ACT. Prebble is a very good campaigner, and will run a good campaign. But it also means signifies that some of the original founding fathers of ACT are solidly back on board. Having Prebble as Campaign Manager will give donors confidence that donations will be out to good use.

ACT are not going to get nine MPs. But if they can get at least two MPs (needs 1.2% just 0.1% more than last time) then that will give them an ongoing presence in Parliament and an ability to keep growing without the distractions of the past.

The Epilepsy Foundation of America facebooked:

Michael Poole Professional Triathlete is pictured racing the legendary Craig Alexander in Auckland, NZ last month. Poole is a world-class triathlete and so much more…all while living with #epilepsy after being diagnosed in 2009. 

The 22-year-old is one of our awesome Athletes vs. Epilepsy spokespeople. Be sure to like his Facebook page and find out more about him on his fundraising page:

There’s info on Michael on his page:

Michael was born in 1991 in Tauranga, New Zealand. Growing up he played soccer and was a member of the under-12 national team. Through high school, he competed in running (winning national team titles in cross country and road running), cycling (winning national titles in road racing and time trialing; member of the national under-17 and under-19 road cycling teams), and triathlon (multiple-time high school champion in triathlon, duathon, and multi-sport events).

Since 2009, Michael has competed as a professional triathlete, moving to the U.S. in 2012. He now represents the country in one form of the sport. He has raced in over 20 U.S. cities and in 9 other countries. This year he was also second in the U.S. Collegiate Championships. At 22, he is often the youngest professional in the U.S. pro fields. Michael also loves cycle racing and holds an elite international license for that sport and will compete at state level in Florida. He currently studies full-time at the University of South Florida as a Chemical Engineering student.

In 2009, Michael was diagnosed with epilepsy. Living with epilepsy while also being involved Triathlon events is a big challenge. In addition to time spent on his studies Michael will train between 25 and 35 hours per week, involving up to six swims and normally five runs and five cycles. It involves a lot of discipline and dedication. He is medicated to prevent seizures and also takes a massive amount of care with his lifestyle and health.

Very inspiring, not letting your disability define you.

Brian Gaynor wrote in the NZ Herald:

Target, the huge American discount retailer, has developed a sophisticated software programme that can determine when a woman is pregnant because purchasing data shows that women change their shopping behaviour when this occurs.

The New York Times Magazine tells the story of a man who went to a Target store in Minneapolis and criticised the store manager because his daughter was being bombarded with pregnancy-related coupons.

“She’s still in high school and you’re sending her coupons for baby clothes and cribs.

Are you trying to encourage her to get pregnant?” the man asked.

The manager apologised and called the father a few days later to apologise again.

This time he received a much more subdued response and was told, “It turns out there’s been some activities in my house I haven’t been completely aware of, she’s due in August”.

That’s impressive targeting. But that is minor compared to what Amazon is looking at:

Move over, drone delivery robots, there’s a new way to cut delivery times. It’s unique, it’s exciting and it’s the talk of the etail town.

It’s telepathy.

All-seeing, all-knowing Amazon was recently granted a patent for anticipatory shipping – basically sending you stuff before you even order it. In essence, Amazon thinks it knows you better than you know yourself. The sad thing is that this may well be true.

Not relying completely on unworldly powers, this kind of technological sixth sense comes courtesy of advanced analytics. The masses of data Amazon collects – think order history, basket contents, wish lists and even how long cursers hover over particular items – could be used to identify your heart’s desire, even though you might not know what that is yet. Your anticipated must-have item could then wing its way to you, only to land on your doormat mere moments after you’ve sealed the inevitable deal. 

Anticipatory shipping! There’s a risk you won’t order the item and hence won’t pay for it. But if they get it right, then you’ll get stuff you really want, even quicker.

Andrea Vance at Stuff reports:

ACT is to shrug off Rodney Hide’s canary yellow jacket with a bold new look to be unveiled at next weekend’s party conference.

New leader Jamie Whyte has opted to tone down the party’s signature colour to a more “muted” shade of yellow.

As in previous years, law and order lobby Sensible Sentencing Trust will be represented, with spokeswoman Ruth Money delivering a speech on “policies that work”. Whyte said that he backs tough deterrents but law and order is now not one of the party’s policy priorities.

Looks like they are rebranding both in terms of colour, but also in terms of policy focus.

A discussion between Bear Grylls and Stephen Fry on their beliefs, while enjoying the majesty of nature. really good.

Hat Tip: Whale

I wasn’t sure I would ever get to watch Pasefika tonight as there were no car parks within half a km of Circa Theatre. I finally gave up circling around and parked in the New World car park (sorry NW!). I got to the theatre with around 30 seconds to spare.

In my mind I was thinking that I could head home at half time, as I didn’t want to leave my car for two hours in a 90 minute zone and risk a ticket or being towed.

Within around quarter of an hour I was quite engrossed into the play, and any thought of not seeing the second half died a hasty death. Once we did get to the interval, I ran back to the NW car park and moved the car into a paid park by Te Papa that had come free.

The play was based in Paris in the 1860s and Akaroa in the 1840s, with the common them being the French artist Charles Méryon, who was played brilliantly by Jason Whyte. You first see Méryon in Paris as a determined and somewhat demented pursuer of Louise Niveau, a waitress in a Parisian cafe. She reminds him of someone from his past – Ruiha, the daughter of Te Rangi, the head of a hapu in Akoroa.

The play moves backwards and forwards from Paris to Akaroa, with seamless transitions. Meryon in real life did live in Akaroa for two years and this had an impact on his art.

Aroha White played standoffish Ruiha and enthusiastic Niveau very well. Simple costume changes transformed her.

Emma Kinane also had a dual role as Madame Bourgeois in Akaroa and Jeanne Dival in Paris. Madame Bourgeois was a Frenchwoman who had done the unthinkable, and married a native. Both Méryon and Ruiha were disapproving for opposite but equal reasons – the races shouldn’t mix.

Finally you had George Henare as Te Rangi and also as the poet Baudelaire. Henare managed both gravity and a genius for comical timing. The play sounds very serious and intense, but in fact there are lots of laughs, and some wonderfully direct language.

The play was effectively a play of five love stories – Te Rangi and Madame Bourgeois, Méryon ad Ruiha, Méryon and Niveau, Baudelaire and Jeanne Duval and also Baudelaire and Niveau. They are told in a way which captures both New Zealand and French culture.

It was a great show. The acting was first class and captivating.

Fran O’Sullivan writes in the NZ Herald:

Kim Dotcom and Len Brown are linked by several personal characteristics. Both are showmen. Both are prone to vanity. Both hate being out of the limelight.

In the personality world that drives mainstream media coverage these days, each of them is also a long-running news story.

This week, each man was under a new round of pressure.

Dotcom because the Court of Appeal found the police raid on his rented mansion was legal (but that the police giving the FBI the seized material was an unauthorised legal breach). The Herald’s splash showing Dotcom (or his companies) had not paid a number of small creditors while he ostentatiously lived high on the hog did not help his reputation.

But his natural audacity and fighting spirit keep him centre-stage.

Brown is also endowed with fighting spirit. He has a thick hide when it comes to public opprobrium. He was booed at the Auckland Nines and was asked not to attend a community military tattoo this weekend.

Maybe they could swap roles? Dotcom goes to all the public events, and Brown sets up a new political party? 🙂

The Daily Telegraph reports:

The popular television presenter is understood to have been found by a security guard this morning.

Dawson, 47, had long battled depression.

Police confirmed they were called to Woolloomooloo wharf at 11.18am and there were no suspicious circumstances to the death.

This is very sad. Dawson was very open about her battle with depression. Many were supportive of her, but there were quite a few who were incredibly nasty towards her on Twitter and urged her to kill herself. I hope those people who took part in her tormenting go through a period of soul searching.

I didn’t know Charlotte first hand, but know several people who did know her well, and they always spoke warmly of her sense of humour and generosity. Both her passing, and the manner of it, are very sad.

For those who may need assistance, the depression helpline is 0800 111 757.

The Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular debuted at the TSB Arena last night. I can’t think of a better word for it than spectacular, as it was. I had high expectations of a great night out, and they were exceeded. It was great on every level. For Dr who fans, it was a fantastic experience, and the arena was packed full of fans from kids to grandparents who have been watching it for 50 years. A fair few were even in costume.

The musical side was superb, with the NZSO led by Dr Who specialist conductor Ben Foster. Wellington’s Orpehus Choir provided backups and there were some stunning solos by Anna (?Pierard). The music alone was reason to go. But there was so much more.

Each piece was accompanied with clips from the show. Some of them were episodes I had seen, and some were new to me. But for all of them, the music and visuals told a great story which made speech unnecessary. Most were of the 11th doctor, Matt Smith, but a couple were compilations of all 13 doctors, including a regeneration series.

Talking of Doctors, the show was narrated by a youthful looking Peter Davison (No 5) and a couple of video clips from a less youthful Tom Baker (No 4). Conductor Ben Foster also took to the microphone a bit, with a very funny scene in which the Dalek proclaimed he must be exterminated for over-acting.

Yes there were Daleks. They were on stage, and in the aisles along with Cybermen, the Silence,Silurians, Ood, Weeping Angels and a Jodoon.

The show has been going around the world for the last year or so, but it has been updated. This version included songs based on the the most recent specials such as the Day of the Doctor.

It was a great show. Everything worked. A very fitting homage to the 50th anniversary of an iconic show.