Prof. Al Gillespie: “To a degree we have to trust the government.” (Aug. 17, 2015)

17 August 2015 at 5:17 pm

Prof. Al Gillespie: “To a degree we have to trust the government.”
Why did Jim Mora ask this fellow to talk about the TPPA?
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Monday 17 August 2015
Jim Mora, Joe Bennett, Susan Guthrie, Noelle McCarthy

Jim Mora’s producers try to impart the appearance of credibility to this light chat show by going to a regular stable of academics, to get their thoughts on various issues. This can be a useful and enlightening exercise, but all too often it is neither, as anyone unfortunate enough to have listened to such academic guests as Tim Dare, Robert Patman, Jacqueline Rowarth, or Michael Bassett will testify.

Today’s big topic was the undemocratic and highly secretive TPPA talks that our government is engaged in. The token academic chosen to comment on it was Professor Al Gillespie from Waikato University. Long time Mora-sufferers will be familiar with Prof. Gillespie, who seems to have earned a doctorate in How To Say Nothing Meaningful. Unlike the formidably intelligent and forthright Jane Kelsey, Professor Gillespie is all wide-eyed optimism: “I think they will learn from this ,” he states in a tone of high seriousness, “and negotiations will not be as secretive in the future.”

A few minutes later he advises, again in the most scholarly manner he can muster: “To a degree we have to trust the government.”

Why did their producers go to this mealy-mouthed drip, instead of asking someone who actually knows something about the issue?

At 4:42 p.m. the host made what was quite possibly the most cynical and ignorant statement of the year so far—even on this dog of a programme. After Susan Guthrie, in her “Soapbox” contribution, had expressed her delight at the popularity of Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders, he posed the following question, in the loftiest tone he could muster….

JIM MORA: It’s one thing to say Jeremy Corbyn’s lovely and pure, but it’s another thing to make him Prime Minister, isn’t it?

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On the few occasions there HAVE been decent and rigorous academics on the programme, they are likely to be subjected to ridicule by “comedians” like Gary McCormick….
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