The Kiwi way with blather
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Your support makes all the difference.LIKE your correspondent Christopher Hill (Letters, 2 April), I was in South Africa in the two years leading up to the joyous elections of April 1994. We longed for a Humphrys or Paxman to tear into the nauseating Afrikaner politicians instead of the tame, grovelling political interviewing that was going on.
I rather liked the approach taken by an interviewer on a New Zealand current affairs programme recently when interviewing the leader of a teaching union and the minister in charge of education over a pay dispute.
The teacher stated that the union would call off planned industrial action if the government would make a commitment to sit down to pay talks.
"Well, that's a very straightforward request minister," said the interviewer. "Will you give the teachers that commitment?"
Blather from the politician.
"Come on minister, yes or no?"
Further blather.
"Is that a yes or no?"
Even more blather.
"Right, I've had enough of that verbiage. That's obviously a no."
Why shut up and let them finish when they are not saying anything?
David Saitch
Wellington, New Zealand
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