54 Comments

I have been enjoying the absolute and literal radio silence these last couple of days. I am aware of what is happening, but there is nothing to be gained from the endless, pointless, analysis and opinions causing me to yell and swear. Seymour is an absolute coward, because he won't front up the rnz to be asked the questions he doesn't want to answer. I would actually like a head-to-head between Seymour and McNaulty, because I know which one is intellectually superior and would expose the truth better than any journalist interested in gotchas. Luxon will fold, like the sun will rise.

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Jenny May really isn’t up to the task of political interviewing. Seymour is a clever wee b*stard adept at twisting the truth to make it sound perfectly reasonable. Breakfast should be putting their heaviest-hitting interviewer on him.

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I agree. He’s a master of manipulation. He does manage to make his views sound plausible, I’m always in guard when I listen to him, he’s a slick salesman and therefore a dangerous politician.

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It wasn't an interview. It was a 10 minute rave from David Seymour, with barely a challenge. On a day when feelings are running high, when Labour/Greens/TPM are uniting, when we are all hurting from the US election, it was hopeless. Mind you to be fair, I see TVNZ's latest proposal is to take Breakfast down from three presenters to two. Jenny May might be worried about her job.

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They will keep Jenny May as she is a push over for the Right

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Well said Nick! JMC is certainly out of her depth with someone as slippery as Seymour.

I’m out of bandwidth for politics at the moment. I feel overwhelmed and despairing at the situation both domestically and abroad. So, I plan to take a break from it all, although I’ll be turning out for the hikoi and the ferries protest this month in Welly.

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We only seem to have 2 media interviewers suitable to handle the BS-spreaders currently in government: John Campbell & Jack Tame. But then again, I feel the TVNZ Editorial cttee wouldn't want to unleash the competent on the incompetent at the moment.

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Why TVNZ doesn't get an interviewer who has the smarts to front up to someone like Seymour! Give Mr Smarmy an inch and he will take a mile! I'm glad I didn't watch breakfast this morning, Seymour gets my blood pressure rising, with my inappropriate words to match! Anna Burns Francis, now shes a good match! She has what it takes to front up to those like Seymour!

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The nature of a breakfast show is to be lightweight. Having said that there is usually one member of the team who has had proper journalist training. Think John Campbell, Anna Burns Francis. In the current set up, why wasn’t Daniel Faitaua given the Seymour interview?

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Sorry but Daniel has proved to be just as much of a right-wing, brown-nosing shill. Rude to Labour politicians, only giving them half the speaking time, asking them ridiculous provocative questions then cutting them off. Both he and JM are past there use by date, grr

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I’m deeply annoyed at the fact that Seymour, who’s standing in the election was minuscule, who’s purpose in government is to guarantee supply to the governing party, seems to be virtually running the country.

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Sad thing is, its not virtual.

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I sit here in Australia with my heart breaking at what is happening in my home country.. in the US and around the world but particularly back home. I proudly wear my National Māori Flag t.shirt and am doing my best to learn a bit of Te Reo. My anger at this despicable, disingenuous and unrepresentative coalition cannot be overstated. My thoughts and prayers are with the food and decent people of AOTEAROA NZ and in particular our indigenous brothers and sisters at this time. Kia kaha 🖤

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Food?.. *good 🙄

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With everything negative that's going on around us in AotearoaNZ and the world, I'm only going to comment on the positive today. "A voice that can break hearts, a guitar that can mend them". This comes up as a comment during today's musical offering. So true, and a great choice for the times Nick. I listened to it yesterday and was delighted to see it here. Many thanks👏👍

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Of course you are right Jenny May is not the right person for political interviews and I am sure she knows that, and got therefore chosen for it to make the coalition looking good. I am sure she hates it or at least I hope so. But she has small kids and most likely a mortgage to pay. I feel sorry for her the wrong person in the wrong place. But not sorry enough to actually watch the interview. Just cannot bare it.

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So Jenny May didn’t articulate our disgust and rebuttal as we would have hoped, but give her a break, we shouldn’t be attacking her and she shouldn’t lose her job. Jenny May is a proud Maori woman. Act’s attack on Maoridom and the very foundation of our country is hurting all of us enough. For me also a Maori woman, I can sometimes speak to this topic clearly and sometimes the topic renders me speechless but always I feel under attack and sad. We are not always able to articulate well under attack and before you say it is her job, first consider how much pain and pressure she was feeling. Arohanui ki a Jenny May.

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It was just so weak. He began by saying hardly anyone was protesting; she should have immediately countered that that was because they'd moved the reading to avoid the hikoi. My comments were not about her being a proud Māori woman, although there are certainly strong female Māori journalists who would have done the job that needed doing. I'm sorry that I appear unsympathetic. I appreciate that it must be stressful, but this issue needs people who can speak strongly.

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I agree, we do need people who can speak strongly and will knowledge of the topic, to tackle the slippery, weasel words we are subjected to from David Seymour, the PM and just about everyone in the coalition. I did feel a little sorry for Jenny May though, with everything happening at TVNZ, the uncertainty of her job, she was not going to be 100% on top of things. She was probably boiling on the inside but acutely aware she needed to maintain a calm and professional demeanour.

I would love to see Moana interview him.

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She us unfailingly rude to Chris Hipkins, and has been prior to elections. She fawns over Luxon and her toto Maori seems to take a back seat to her right-wing brown-nosing

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100% the comment I was going to make. I stopped watching her because of her RW bias.

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Whilst Jenny May is employed as an interviewer then she does need to to interview with due rigour. I kind of understand what you are saying but it is currently her job to do this.

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Yes Janine. I understand your point. I have been attacked in the past but for a different reason. When you are surrounded by hostility, and someone takes advantage of your situation then it is impossible to fight back. You are on a hiding to nothing. I'm not a Breakfast TV follower, but it sounds to me it is what Seymour was doing to Jenny May. Perhaps she wasn't the right person to interview him, and he knows how to respond to individual interviewers. God knows the media in their lack of wisdom give him plenty of practice.

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I keep asking myself why Seymour, whose party received a significant ly minor number of votes, sees himself as the overseer of how Aotearoa is governed. Surely he should be confronted with this at every opportunity.

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He should be. But as an Atlas lobbyist, his role is to pave the way for privatisation.

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Nick, I enjoyed that Desi Lydic Daily Show clip,.

Seymore is very practiced & plausible stating 'facts' but not all the 'facts'. Seems very few journalists are smart enough to hear those & omitted 'facts' & pick him up on them. Eg, All NZers have the same rights & privileges, 'fact', but Maori are unable to ACCESS those rights & privileges as equally as Pakeha do.

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Slimy Seymour and gutless Luxon. Luxon letting Seymour lead the way with his racist rhetoric and allowing a six month consultation with the public so all the disgusting anti Māori can have their day to silence Māori for ever! Just go on Seymour’s Facebook page and you’ll see the range of white supporters with their vile language. Today starts the propaganda from Seymour and his many followers. I fear it’s going to be very dirty! As for Jenny May she was so weak and should have taken the condescending smirk off Seymour’s face.

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David Seymour interview was bulldozed by simple one track equal rights with no regard for

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