Players, Plonkers and... the Pope?

Cast aside your swine flu masks and gather round: it's time to announce the Players and Plonkers of the week.

Player of the week: US President Barack Obama. You've got to hand it to him - 'mom jeans' or not, the guy is cool.

How many of us have said at some point or another that the best way to fix any argument - say, the Israel versus Palestine debate - would be to get the parties involved together to have a beer and sort out the issues? Well, that's exactly what he's done: invited two men at the centre of a race-relations uproar round to the White House garden for beer, snacks and a chat.

The 'beer summit', as it was promptly named, brought together white police officer James Crowley and noted black academic Henry Louis Gates. Two weeks ago, police were called to an address after a report of a break-in. In fact, Gates - a Harvard professor and good friend of Obama - was trying to get into his own house after the door jammed, and (understandably) took umbrage to the assumption that he was a burglar. The exchange became heated, and continued even after it was proven that Gates was the owner of the property. Crowley then arrested Gates for disorderly conduct.

Intense debate followed about the part Gates' race had played in the drama. Obama initially weighed in, stating police had “acted stupidly”, before recanting his comments. He wasn't right to join the debate when he had a vested interest in it - but his actions in inviting the pair to the White House to sort it out casually and amicably were undeniably smooth. Say what you like about Obama - he's one classy guy.


Plonker of the week: ACT MP David Garrett for his power-play tactics against prison workers.

Last time I checked we live in a democracy. Part of that means you get to speak your mind in the appropriate for a without fear of censure. Parliament's forbids MPs to assault, threaten or disadvantage a person because of evidence they give to a select committee.

And yet that's the conduct David Garrett displayed this week. Prison officers were speaking in front of a select committee about their concerns over the private prison model, drawing on past experience while working under a private contracter a few years ago. You'd think the committee would want to hear from the people the proposed changes would affect, wouldn't you?

Instead, Garrett had something to say to the workers. "You say that you don't want to go back to working in this environment - to the private (sector). You'd be aware that given your submission here, you wouldn't get offered a job anyway, would you?"

So what he's implicating is that anyone who speaks out against the Government's plan to privatise prisons is out of luck when it comes to seeking future employment in that industry. Other members of the committee were quick to reassure the speakers that they were free to speak their minds.

This is bullying tactics, pure and simple. David Garrett appears to have an agenda when it comes to remodeling the prison system, and he doesn't like anyone disagreeing. What he said was intimidating - there is no doubt about it. Yesterday he was still insisting he stood by his comments, saying the officers were very negative about the private prison company, and it stood to reason they might therefore find it difficult to get work with that company.

If the officers had decided to release a statement to the media, unprovoked, about private prisons, that would make sense. But this was in the context of a submission to a parliamentary committee, with respect to the industry in which they work. Are they entitled to their say or not?

After all, it's extremely likely that in his time as a member of the ACT Party while it was in opposition, David Garrett has been less than complimentary about the Government. Does that mean he shouldn't expect to keep his job as an MP?

People who like to complain about the evils of being governed by 'Helengrad' would do well to keep Garrett's behaviour in mind when extolling the virtues of our 'New World Order'.

And lastly, an award for Pontiff of the Week: Okay, there's only one Pontiff, but I had to make mention of the fact that Pope Benedict XVI is to release an album. He'll be singing and reciting prayers on this as-yet-untitled record, proceeds of which will go to charity. My only comment is that if the Vatican can consider itself hip enough to be releasing 'Live Aid' style charity performances, surely it must be catching up to the rest of the world in matters of contraception and female priests? I won't be holding my breath.