GOOD BASTARDS AT BACKBENCHERS

It was nice to spend some time with some good journalists last night, Tim Donoghue, Sean Plunkett, Derek Fox, Doug Echoff.

Donoghue and I go back aways , to the start of the Scampi stories. He started writing about the scandal when he was on the Independent. He is good, tough and doesn't give a shit what peoples politics are - he just wants to get to the bottom of things and writes a really good yarn.

His latest little story still deserves a follow up - the shadowy Tommy Gear was the one who tried to strong arm the Maori Party into supporting Winston Peters.

We still need to know more about Mr Gear.

And Sean Plunket was as ever fun and irreverent. I stood outside and had a quiet chat as he took a call from his son, the gruff, take no bullshit interviewer with a rapier for a tongue, was nowhere in sight. Instead it was a loving dad softly saying good night to his boy. Nice.


The Maori Party table was fun , they can sense that it is only a matter of weeks and they will probably be in the best position to make some real meaningful gains for Maori.

They were very good company.

And thanks to the nice guy with the American accent, who works for the most important man in the country for the compliment about Roarprawn.

We need to do coffee!

Today I am looking after Whale oil and Farrar in the Wairarapa in the Blogmobile- that is going to take a bit of doing..

BACKBENCHER SUMMARY

I was a backbencher virgin until last night. Its a really good pithy political pisstake. It could easily fill a slot on prime time TV instead of buried on Channel 7 Freeview. Last night Derek Fox, Maori Party ,Nikki Kaye (Nats) and Hamish Doull ( Lab )and some dude from the greens who looked like a merchant banker, were the panel.
It was fun and racy and interactive.

Nikki Kaye did very well, Hamish Doull came armed with some pithy one liners, Foxy sounded wise and the green guy was ok.

Will go again.

OFF TO BACK BENCHER

To listen to Nikki Kaye and the Fox. Might blog later if I don't have beer goggles on.