Pearson versus Kelly on POAL

The two columns in yesterday's Herald - one by Ms Kelly of the CTU , and one by the Chair of POAL, Mr Pearson - were interesting. I won't go through them in detail, but Mr Pearson's column was the most interesting, for it said three things. First, the Ports board wants to destroy MUNZ because it cannot get its own way by any other means. The image of the playground bully permeated Mr Pearson's view of the dispute. Second, it argued, in a classic Tui ad. manner that there was no privatisation agenda involved in the Ports' board strategy (to which the "Yeah, Right' response is entirely appropriate). Third, it put the acid on Mayor Brown, for it made it clear that the Ports management strategy to crush MUNZ was explicit and about meeting performance targets set by Mayor Brown's Council.

Mayor Brown may wish that Mr Pearson had not gone into print, for it makes his position (apparently, in the absence of any statement to the contrary, supporting the destruction of MUNZ) ever clearer. Did I really campaign actively against a privatising, anti-union Mr Banks to get a dissembling, anti-union Mr Brown? Am I that gormless?