by Cam Slater on the BFD
Media petulance is growing as they demand to be told what is going on. But, to their credit, Christopher Luxon, Winston Peters and David Seymour are mostly staying mum on details…except for a few truth bombs:
Peters was asked about the cost of hiring hotel rooms for negotiations since Wednesday.
The NZ First leader fired back at media, saying it was a minor cost to settle democracy before criticising the $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund, something he had opposed right through the election campaign.
Ahead of the meeting, Luxon said coalition talks had narrowed “down to one or two issues”.
“I just need to keep working with the parties on the outstanding issues,” he said. –NZ Herald
Boom!
There it is. The media were bought and paid for by the PIJF, and they dare to moan about tiny expenses that would be rounding numbers compared to the hundreds of millions the media have suckled from the public teat; firstly from the PIJF and then from all the state advertising poured in to their coffers.
The moaning is unedifying and unnecessary. It is only 15 days since the final results were known, and these dolts are crying rivers of tears.
The media need to be defunded. Now.
Take away their advertising, take away their subsidies, grants and loans – they’ll be broke in a matter of hours. Do it.
The Media Party need to realise that the halcyon days of private prime ministerial briefings on Monday morning so that the editors could know the coming week’s talking points, are over. The gravy train is over. The troughing is over.
Change or die.
We wait with expectation for the new government to act.
Don’t hold your breath
I would have at guess Winston Peters will cut the medias financial gravy cords as soon as they get their airing done.
Judith Collins said to Waikanae National Party members when she was leader that she wanted to start a ‘defund the media’ campaign. Obviously the National caucus baulked on that, but the sentiment will be strong.