A wintry Players and Plonkers

Who was praiseworthy and who was pretentious this week?

Players of the week doesn't seem like quite the right accolade, but I do want to recognise the efforts of the police, the air force and all the volunteers (neighbours, friends, family and others) who have been searching tirelessly for little Aisling Symes.

It's been five days now since the two-year-old went missing, and I can't begin to imagine what her family is going through. But it must be some comfort to know that there are so many people who are dedicating their time to the search. The investigation team is growing and the police are investigating every possible avenue.

My thoughts are with the Symes family and everyone working on the case as I join in the hope that Aisling will be found safe and sound, very soon.


Plonker of the Week: I knew it was too good to be true - when Winston Peters was ousted from Parliament after his party's total failure in the last election, I doubted we'd have seen the back of him. Today Winston Peters made his comeback speech, and it was trademark Winnie all the way. Playing on the xenophobic fears so many European New Zealanders seem to harbour, he ranted and raved about a "tsunami of immigrants" who are "taking New Zealand for a sucker".

First of all, in light of the devastation in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga, it's in ridiculously poor taste to be talking about a "tsunami of immigrants", don't you think?

Secondly, I really wish Mr Peters and many of the other bigots who like to perpetuate the idea that we're an 'easy touch' for immigrants could experience the process themselves. I know so many people who have struggled through the system. I've seen them spend months in limbo as they endure the interminable wait, spend their money on medical exams and duplicate copies of records and police checks, ask friends to provide 'proof' of their loving relationship - it's not an easy system at all. It's draining and time-consuming and costly. But all of them were sure it was worth it, because they genuinely want to be here.

And thirdly, I find it hard to understand exactly how these people can rail against 'foreigners' with a straight face when we are an entire NATION of immigrants. In the grand scheme of things it makes very little difference whether your ancestors got here in 1840, 1970 or 2009. Most of the supposed 'real Kiwis' are a hodge-podge of immigrant blood themselves. New Zealand is a young country. All of us are from somewhere else, so it's a bit rich to suggest anybody should 'go back where they came from'.

The saddest part is, Winston Peters hasn't changed tack at all. This is the same schtick he's been spouting since he first came onto the political scene, and it was made blatantly clear in the last election that it's not winning him much support.


And this week's bonus award goes to Pig-headed season of the week: winter. We're into Daylight Savings time, the Christmas decorations are (regrettably) in the shops, the spring crops are in - and then bam! Winter's not done yet. We've had snow in low-lying areas and hundreds of motorists stranded... and the forecast is for this unseasonable cold snap to continue for a while yet. Thanks a lot, winter - why can't you leave us alone and go bother the Northern Hemisphere?