Hats off to Mr Key for his astute negotiations which have got the Maori Party onside to balance and remove his dependancy on the ACT Party to govern. I'm sure Mr Hyde is somewhat miffed at this development.

The sad thing is the way the media has painted Sir Roger, with the public letting itself be misled, into the devil incarnate. Completely forgetting that his common sense socialism got the country out of the poo in the eighties and but for the infamous cup-of-tea the Labour party could well have had a two decade rule instead of being thrown out for its in fighting at the end of the eighties.

I can see that John Key simply cannot afford to have it suggested that Sir Roger has any input becuase of the public's concept of Sir Roger's worth, it would loose too many votes.

It is ironical that in the eighties the departing leaders of the Labour Party were part of the cup-of-tea brigade while the new leaders supported Roger Douglas. With some of the media talking about National moving to the right it is fair to ask if both parties are shifting the centre line to the right. So often in recent years I have heard Labour politicians spouting the catchwords from ACT of the nineties. It is rather fun altogether.