Let’s be absolutely clear, Radio New Zealand’s flagship show Morning Report said this morning that they had invited John Key and Phil Goff to debate each other. Phil Goff said yes, John Key said no. John Key said they are debating on some other occasions, and “because of the time needed to prepare he was not going to do any more”. (Simon Mercep says this in the first few seconds of the link below).
I am sorry? To start with that is a stupid excuse, because the issues being raised in any given debate will be similiar, so preparation can not be used. And it is not as if this is a community radio station in Twizel. This is the most listened to morning news programme in the country. This is disgraceful. John Key said you can’t hide if you are the Prime Minister. Well he seems to be giving it a good go!
The two leaders will now have seperate interviews (obviously Mr Key could squeeze that into his schedule). Phil’s was today, and you can listen here
John (the prime mincer) Key was too busy to turn up at CHOGM too. Too busy playing Town Halls and Hobitses.
OK, so why did radionz offer the interview. Why did they not just ignore him?
Same as on tv why dont they leave the nat chaire empty on the stage?
I’m sure I heard this debate advertised on Nat Radio last week. Surely they would have had confirmation from both participants before the notice was given and now one has changed his mind.
Deliberate disengagement from politics and the cut and thrust of debate. Fear of light being shone on their failures. Fear of face to face criticism and the truth.
Key said about that appalling opening for his campaign that the answers to the (patsy) questions were those he gave in town hall meetings regularly. So, what’s this excuse about needing to prepare?
He’s had three years to prepare for this election. He called it, selected the date. Now, he’s not prepared………
I think the National Party has discovered John Key is becoming a liability.
The train loop is cool!
Man, the point he made about selling the assets and then how is he gunna pay for the next school? Great!
Yee haa!
That is outrageous. They should just have Goff on twice.
Worrying trend for NZ.
West Wing season 4: incumbent Bartlett’s guys want 5 TV debates, Republican Rob Ritchie agrees to only 2. So the democrats compromise by proposing just 1 debate: a balls-out doozy, the goal being to have a more expansive format in which to expose the shallow populism of Ritchie’s policies.
So why was Key on ZB this morning? I suppose it was his preparation for the tv debate tonight – similar level of questioning?
And then in the summing up the host said Key would be on next Tuesday with a extended coverage. Outrage on outrage and once again where is the fairness in that!!
He being Key has got the place manipulated, how low we have sunk!
It’s going to be an interesting next 3 years.
Goff is really hitting his stride, finally. Hard to believe Key is running scared from a primo opportunity to have his folksy voice on the radio, I can only presume it’s Goff himself that he’s scared of.
>I think the National Party has discovered John Key is becoming a liability.
Yup. He can’t debate for shit.
@ Tracey, as the old Chinese curse goes ” May you live in interesting times ”
I’m sure that Key will be a regular on Paul Henry’s new show I’m sure that he will ask the hard questions……
God Help us…
Oh God peter, I hadn’t thought of that!!!!!
Huge mistake by the PM handing the ‘prime mover’ spot to Goff on RNZ as though he didn’t care about it at all and hot on the heels of the the clear win for Labour during the Saturday pitch.
Listening to it this morning though, I’m not sure Goff capitalised. I agree that he is hitting his stride though. Just keep the message simple – No Asset Sales.
Re Key on ZB – in a way this makes sense as RNZ is not his natural constituency and ZB arguably has better reach to middle NZ (playing to the audience and all).
The PM has been missing in action on Morning Report since elected yet appears on Drive talk ZB regularly. He is seemingly more comfortable with ‘backbuster’ Veitch and sociopath Paul Henry. RNZ’s Jeff and Simon are unlikely to give him too hard a time anyway, so what is it all about?
• Sure partly demographics, but partly being a scaredy cat too, and tactics from the minders and script writers. Don’t engage. Communication is a one way street. He is not good at answering questions truthfully or knowledgeably as ‘Hard Talk’ showed.
• I have maintained from the beginning that deep down Key does not take the job seriously.
He is extremely serious about transfering wealth to his business mates though. Hence the Letterman carry on, Standard & Poors email debacle and the mean streak that comes out in parliament that the ZB listeners don’t see (or want to see more like). I am waiting for the benny bash to come out soon from Key if Labour keeps rolling out policy.
Grab the ball and run with it Phil!