Footfalls echo in the memory, down the passage we did not take

I can't blame poor old Dr Reynolds - he hasn't really been in New Zealand very long.

But his choice of words in laying the blame for XT's repeated failure over the past three months could've been better.

"Enough is enough" he cried in his opening plea to the media (and all credit to him for fronting up for what was a gruelling - and often ill-informed - session with hacks from all over).

Unfortunately the only image I can conjure up with this particular phrase is one of one-eyed hatred and ignorant bigotry. Something that was just as powerful at splitting the nation as the foreshore and seabed - and perhaps a tad more depressing when you boil down the root causes.

Admittedly, you can almost understand his frustration with Telecom's french partner, Alcatel-Lucent and p'raps 'twas dark irony the phone company's flack were playing at, but I don't think so.

So credit to the telco for fessing up and paying out to its customers - I can almost feel the pain the CFO's going through opening up the cheque book yet again - but definitely a "could try harder" over the historical allusion.

PB.

Oh - and big ups to the flack at Telecom for being accessible and human - we (read me) had a bit a mare last week with to-ing and fro-ing over a regulator's statement - don't get me started on that one - but all is well after a good old-fashioned conversation. It's good to be a hack.

The Day in Review Sept 18

- The little Pumpkin girl dominated proceedings tonight, with further details released, such as the police investigation into the disappearance of the girl's mother (on everyone) and the Unitec film about the father's missing daughter from a prior marriage (exclusively on 3), and the Australian response (with Garth Bray on One), and the CYF revelation that they had previously investigated the family (on the Wireless). My money goes to Tze Ming Mok and her patch.
- 3 followed up this mega-story with further probing into ACC's decision to pay for the victim of a gang-shooting who was on AFFCO property. Unfortunately, Mini-Garner (Scott Campbell) was covering it as Garner Major (Duncan Garner) was at the Destiny NZ disestablishment. While Minister Ruth Dyson claimed in the House that AFFCO took some responsibility in return for discounted levies, AFFCO stated it did no such thing. One gave the piece a 40-second slot later on regarding Anne Tolley's question in the Chamber.
- Our second big story of the night was the official announcement of the disestablishment of Destiny NZ as a political party, and its alignment with Gordon Copeland's new and improved Christian Coalition. The highlight was when Gordon admitted he didn't know he would be a co-leader with Richard Lewis (formerly of Destiny NZ).
- One had a nice little number on the Government hinting it was going to ask property developers to build low-cost housing. Colin Dallas of Kingdom Residential Housing believes it will be effective. I just can't seem to wipe the sneer off my face.
- 3 combatted this with a story on the investigation into a Burnham Army Camp fire truck that fell into a Canterbury Creek en route to a fire when a farm bridge collapsed... it failed to take the twelve tonne truck. No apiarists were harmed.
- Other big story of the night. Becks. Stadium. Big bucks forked out. Big bucks to be made.
- John Boy and Mark were smitten with Pumpkin, and continued along that railway line. Me, I switched off. Sorry.
- Moment of the evening: OJ. It's nice to know that there are people out who are ignorant enough to try and mess with The Juice.
Good night.