Michael Laws once again proves why he’s an excellent candidate not only as Mayor of Wanganui, but as a human being:
I don’t often watch Out of the Question, Prime’s increasingly budget (they’ve shed two panellists and pruned writers since going to air) current affairs answer to A Game of Two Halves. But channel surfing Tuesday night I came across this little gem from his Worship.
If you can’t watch the video clip, here’s a transcript:
Question: Who would you rather have a heart transplant from, Hugo Chavez, Hugh Grant or Britney Spears?
Laws: Oh well you wouldn’t want Britney Spears
Hosking: You can rule Spears out immediately, why would you do that?
Laws: For a couple of reasons, one, she’s got, it’s all the fast food she eats; second, given her maternal nature…
Hosking: She’s got bad genes…
Laws: She’s got the Kahui genes.
Canned laughter: Titter, titter.
Yeah. Farkin’ hilarious, bro. Would he have said it if there were more than 0.6% of New Zealanders watching?
It contrasts quite sharply with a SST column Laws penned on the topic. I guess he thought making jokes about child killing wouldn’t play so well in print.
One line does stand out from that column though: “Letting these people have kids is an invitation to tragedy.”
Careful readers will note it’s not letting “these people” keep their kids, but letting them have them to which Laws objects. I’d be interested to know whether his proposed solution involves involuntary surgery, because I don’t see too many other options. Cutting off social welfare payments certainly doesn’t stop babies being born into poverty – as a quick look at any DPB-free third world country will prove. However it does have quite an effect on infant mortality rates.
I don’t listen to Radio Live, but I’d be interested whether Laws is making jokes about the Kahui deaths there too. If you do listen, your feedback as always is welcome, and Laws welcomes it himself via his SST column:
My absence from the blogosphere and the weekend’s Great Blend has been duly noted. Apologies: I’m in the process of moving to Wellington. A job and house have been secured; I’ll be meandering along SH1 this weekend, so please reduce your speed and be careful overtaking on blind corners.
Keith, if there’s room at your illegal backroom poker game, count me in. Last time I was down I dropped $30 within an hour, then overheard one of the students mutter “cool, I can buy groceries this week!” Always happy to do my bit for the Knowledge Economy.