The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) has ordered TVNZ to broadcast a live statement about Paul Henry's remarks describing singer Susan Boyle as retarded. It has one month to read an agreed summary of a decision, which found TVNZ took insufficient action over Henry's outburst in November last year. It certainly seemed to me at the time that TVNZ let Paul Henry get away with his insult, so I'm very pleased others also saw fit to complain to the BSA. Perhaps Henry will learn from this. Probably he won't. If not, then TVNZ should. After all, BSA says for the last few years, Paul Henry is their most-complained-about individual.
...top dog John Key says anti-whaling protester Pete Bethune is "downright ungrateful" for the help he got from Kiwi officials in Japan. Bethune's back in NZ, complaining about a lack of support from our government. He's strongly attacked NZ's attitude to the sinking of Ady Gil, and is damning of NZ Foreign Minister Murray McCully, who was critical of him and Sea Shepherd on the day his boat was rammed by a Japanese whaler. "He immediately sided with the Japanese. I remain disgusted with the way McCully treated us from day one. I get the feeling NZ has become a fat little lap dog." Despite any spin John Key may put on this entire issue (notwithstanding the support from embassy staff in Japan), our country's stance on the deliberate ramming of Ady Gil was pathetic, and Bethune makes a valid point. ARE we a Nippon lap dog? Is this why our govt.'s anti-whaling position was so modified at the IWC? When did we decide that we would turn our backs on whales?
...and the 'blame game' begins in Auckland, with the Regional Council (ARC) saying the govt. should share responsibility for the fiasco of the Rugby World Cup "Party Central". ARC says it was the Historic Places Trust (a govt.agency) that wanted to save the old wharf sheds, thus disrupting the agreed-to plans. World Cup Minister Muddling McCully (yeup, the same ditherer who also wears the Foreign Ministry crown) has already criticised the council's about-face, and is now also looking at other venues for its fan zone, including Viaduct Harbour. Well, hello! Wouldn't that have been more sensible from the outset? That entire area, so successful during the America's Cup, is bursting with restaurants and bars. Why spend millions on one giant venue for a piss-up? And let's completely forget McCully's ludicrous suggestion of moving "Party Central" to Wellington. Does he really believe thousands of fans will travel that far for a party? The semis and final are in Auckland: THAT'll be party time! Duuuhhh!!! He really must be as stupid as he looks!
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