Eye to Eye

Eye to Eye at 9.30 on TV 1 looks to be another brawl. Subject: What's in the budget for Maori? Apparently Hone Harawira says the only thing in the budget for Maori is more police to arrest them. Must away and watch it.

UPDATE; Well, I was right. It was a brawl. Clayton Cosgrove and Shane Jones on the left and John Key and Hone Harawira on the right. Willie Jackson in the middle goading them on. You know, the more I see of Shane Jones, the great Maori hope, the less I want to see of him. He is a smart arse but not a very good one. With lines like, "I want to ask Willie if he is a casting agent because Hone is acting" and "I want all New Zealanders to wake up because John has just put them to sleep" and "Give me the lotto numbers Hone if you can read my mind." Oh, save me.

Hone is one angry man. He thumbs it with his dress and language and comes over as a streetfighter. He is mad as hell at Shane Jones who he sees as a traitor to the Maori cause. "What really pisses me off is Shane understands this shit. These other guys don't."

Clayton Cosgrove had to try and get down and dirty with the boys and came out with probably the nastiest remark of all (which had nothing to do with the subject). "Don Brash stands up in Parliament everyday and you can smell the embalming fluid and formaldehyde on his breath." Having got Don off his chest he had a go at Rodney. "Rodney Hide will win (Dancing with the Stars) because he has two dances; the Hussle, which we all know he's very good at and the Limbo - no-one goes lower than Rodney."

John Key said that there was nothing in the budget for Maori because there was nothing in the budget for anyone! He kept calm and good-humoured throughout and won the match by default.

Truly. This programme is theatre. It isn't political debate. It replays Tuesday night.