KEY PROPAGANDA

TVNZ's Guyon Espiner thinks its excellent that the Government is giving more money to the rich while tossing a few crumbs to the rest of us. He also thinks its just peachy that the Government is taking the knife again to public expenditure denying ordinary New Zealanders, among other things, access to decent education and health systems.

Guyon was so thrilled by the Government's bailout of the needy rich that he gave the Budget a 7.5 out of 10. I think he wanted the rich to get even more dosh so that's why he didn't feel he could award a 10.

'A really fascinating Budget,' Guyon informed us.

Fascinating? Taking from the poor and giving to the rich is 'fascinating'? What does Guyon do in his spare time? Pull the wings off flies?

It must be nice for John Key to have a friend like Espiner.

Not that John Key isn't without other friends at the public broadcaster that isn't.

There's 'Cheeky' Paul Holmes of course. As a talkback host he demonstrated time and time again where his political sympathies lay.

These days he host's Q+A, on Sunday morning - TVNZ's token effort at anything approaching serious current affairs. When he's not doing that he's writing newspaper columns praising the Minister of Social Development Paula Bennett - presently grinding the faces of beneficiaries into the dirt.

And, then there's Paul Henry.

The former National Party candidate - which , funnily enough, isn't mentioned in his bio on the TVNZ website - uses Breakfast to launch attacks at his political adversaries. They all just happen to be liberal or left wing.

While bashing the left, he can always be relied on to attenuate the positive when it comes to the National Government.

And so it was this morning when his old mate John Key dropped into the Breakfast studio for a friendly chat about the Budget. 'Friendly is the operative word here.

Did Henry demand to know why the rich were getting more money while everyone else was getting next to nothing?

Of course not.

He opened with something like this: 'So Prime Minister you must be pleased that the Budget has been favourably received by the public?'

Key beamed.

It was all downhill from here.

Key talked up the Budget, ably assisted by Henry.

We are witnessing a massive transfer of wealth to the already wealthy and this is what TVNZ gives us.

Government propaganda.