Too Hasty by far Mr Dunne

This morning the Honourable Peter Dunne, Minister of Internal Affairs, Associate Minister of Health and Conservation, father of the house - and John Key's personal whipping boy - had an argument with Annette King on Psychoactive Substances. 

As often happens I get myself out of bed in the morning by picking a fight with a government minister via twitter, and I accused the United Future leader of being a fall guy for the Prime Minister, who has kept the issue firmly in Dunne's office - making Dunne roast in the fire of public discontent. Peter was not amused. He told me to go read the act before making stupid comments. While I reserve the right to make stupid comments whenever pleases me, I had to rebut the core assumption - that I like many had not bothered to read the relevant legislation. It turns out that I have, and as the regular followers of my blog will know I have done my bit to promote the course of action the government took rather than banning the drugs outright (which I still believe will not work), see my post A Plea For Reason on March 21.

I am not mad about Dunne being so deep in the foxhole that he no longer recognises friend from foe, I am alarmed by the air of condescension his comments give rise to. It is fair enough to say that the public often does not have the patience to look at all the details of legislation (it can work wonders as an insomnia cure though), but to dismiss all who aren't on your personal radar as ignorant, is to be more cynical than the non-voter. Mr Dunne has been under a lot of pressure since he reclaimed ministerial office on January 28, and he knows that as a veteran of every government since 1984 and sixty years of age - this is the last job he'll have in politics. No doubt he's desperate to continue past September, but his arrogant dismissal of criticism he mistakenly believes to be founded on ignorance makes him unworthy of office. I will be very sympathetic to campaigns to oust him at this election and will also look at how I can contribute to his downfall. He's smart, he's tenacious, and he's as pompous as a dressage pony, but he is not greater than the people.

A line of Mark Twain's keeps hitting the surface of my mind and I feel - considering that it was an argument of sorts that led to this post - that I should end on it. "Never pick a fight with someone who buys (metaphorical) ink by the barrel."

Time for the biggest political slut in a Parliament of whores to call it a day.