The electoral reform and media reform reads more like a wishlist than a strategy, not that I don't agree with aspects of it. The UBI stuff is pretty out there too, but I do wonder why Labour can't be more modern with its targeted help to struggling people - why, for example, is the minimum wage focused on rather than minimum income stuff. If the minimum wage just sat where it is and you introduced minimum income policies, then all the employers can't complain about how paying $2 more per hour will make them fire people, but they can be criticized for effectively allowing the govt to make up their shortfall. Maybe I'm barking up the wrong economics tree but new policies will be needed...

Did Dotcom ever add the bit about "and we all know there's another PM I don't like" in his other IMP speeches?

If Pam Corkery had had the same outburst, but Dotcom had never made the hacking reference, it probably wouldn't have led the news, would it? I wasn't actually aware Parkin was suggesting Dotcom was whaledump yesterday, and when I saw people talking about Pam Corkery lashing out at the press, it didn't really sound like a news leader.

I don't really understand why people who are primarily in PR are a good choice for panelists; you're more likely to get earnest views elsewhere. Or is that not valued? Or does my perception of them not jive with the reality?

But it’s what any competent media trained western politician has been doing for a generation, so I’m not quite getting people creaming themselves over Keys performance. It looks super impressive only in the context of Shearer and the rest of Labour looking like could spot clue if it kicked in the bollocks, and I hate to say when being interviewed by someone like John Campbell.

I'm skeptical of this, because the GOP in America would love to transplant Newt Gingrich's debating/interview skill onto any number of their more suitable candidates, most obviously Mitt Romney who was stiff as a brick. I'm not sure they'll have anyone suitable next time round either, and they are far better resourced financially/population-wise.

So yes, stick the sign on the door. WANTED: competent media trained western politician.

I don't think you can necessarily separate winning/losing and discussion of substance. The reason this particular issue isn't talked about with substance is partially to do with the weakness of the opposition - and similar problems would arise if the centre-left were governing and the centre-right was underperforming. But also, this is a tough issue that can't be talked about by your average columnist (at least not well). I don't have a very good grasp of the substance, but I can very well adjudicate that when Key says the experts "aren't really experts" he's dismissing people who are highly respected and spend their entire lives in law and technology. Disagreeing on the substance is one thing, selectively dismissing experts based on whether they agree with you or not, is quite another. That's somewhat avoiding substance on my part, but it's something I can be more confident of.