No, we shouldn’t be following the bloody wowsers – let’s take our cues on leadership from Churchill

Here’s where prohibition takes you.

Alf was alarmed to learn The Boss has confessed to guests at a fundraising event that he has been on the wagon since his return from a Hawaii holiday last month.

According to this report at Stuff:

Key revealed his abstinence at a fundraising event at Wellington’s Dockside restaurant on Wednesday night. He noted the irony about delivering a speech while standing in the bar.

A spokeswoman said “He is just taking good care of himself for the campaign.” Key is known to favour pinor noir and English-brewed Bath Ales.

Obviously The Boss did not consult Alf before taking what looks like a drastic as well as highly unnecessary course of action.

And now the NZ Herald unabashedly approves race discrimination in the health system

“But that’s not how we measure you up for our voucher scheme.”

It’s disappointing but not surprising to find the NZ Herald approving a health scheme that will benefit only some people – to be selected racially.

This is the same newspaper that fudged the racist component when it reported on the scheme earlier this week.

The eligibility criteria that are buried somewhat in the Herald report are clearly set out on the Counties Manukau Health website:

If you can spell neuropsychopharmacologist, you are sober enough not to have to listen to one

A fancy job description is one sure way of having the bloody news media savour and publish anything you say.

Alf accordingly expects them to regurgitate the stuff on booze preached by one David Nutt when he comes here, blissfully ignoring the caution that should be sounded by his surname.

They will give time and space to him because he is a psychiatrist and neuropsychopharmacologist.

What was that again?

Oh, yeah. He’s one of them neuropsychopharmacologists.

If the news media were doing their job and had their wits about them (whatever few wits they might be able to muster on a good day), they would break down that nomenclature and take special note of the psycho bit, as the assiduous Alf has done because he regards it as the critical part of the whole word.

Further warning bells should clang when the media buggers spot that this Nutt bloke has been fired by the British Government for shooting his mouth off.

Indeed, all the warning bells were sounded (and ignored) within the first two sentences of a report in the Press today:

Come on, Hone – show just a twinge of concern for all those non-Maori deaths from tobacco-related diseases

Dunno if the newspapers are mentioning it today, but Alf was among the great majority of MPs who voted to raise the tax on tobacco.

He did this because he believes making tobacco more expensive is an effective way of discouraging its use and reducing the huge death toll from tobacco-related illnesses.

He is a caring bloke, your Alf, keen to reduce rates of preventable disease among all New Zealanders.

All New Zealanders, he emphasises. Not just some.

Alf was dismayed to read a media statement from Hone Harawira, apparently spelling out the Maori Party’s position.

Rebuff for the baccy banners

Brace yourselves for a blast of dismay from the anti-baccy mob.

Health Minister Tony Ryall today said the Government won’t be introducing legislation to ban retail tobacco displays, at least for now.

He was explaining the Government’s response to a report from the Health Select Committee which recommended new legislation to force retailers to have tobacco products stored out of sight.

Ryall noted the Select Committee’s acknowledgement that evidence could not directly link the banning of displays with decreasing smoking rates.