This is what Paul Holmes told his listeners during his NewstalkZB radio show on Wednesday morning


At 7.45am, Paul Holmes brings up the topic of Kofi Annan's speech, saying Annan had his "moment" over the United States invading Iraq without sanction.

Holmes said that about 13 resolutions had been passed on the Middle East by the United Nations but "nothing had been done".

"When do the United Nations actually do anything? When do they actually do anything except get paid well ... get off a plane and sit on their jacksons?

"The greatest bloody perks job in the world, their job at the UN. The greatest perks do-nothing job. It's such a tower of fable, nothing would ever get done."

A few seconds later ...

"That Kofi Annan, I've got to say to you, has been a very cheeky darkie overnight. He's been a very cheeky darkie. It's all very well giving a darkie that secretary-general job but we'll only take so much [laughs] I'm sorry, we will only take so much.

"We're not going to be told how to live our lives by a Ghanaian. They're a model aren't they, to how to live your life, to how to run a country. Mr Nkrumah, remember him ... 1957 the Prime Minister of Ghana ... We're not going to be told by a Ghanaian too much.

"Mr Annan says the collectivity of the United Nations kept the peace for 58 years. Hang on a minute about that 58 years. Where does Mr Annan get that idea? Where does that darkie bloke get that idea? What about the oppressed states of Eastern Europe for 50 years who endured the Communist boot for 50 years? What about the heart of Africa? How much peace was kept there? The nuclear bombs kept the peace for 58 years in states like Russia and France.

"That Mr Kofi Annan. That cheeky darkie should ask the people of Rwanda how the United Nations kept the peace for 58 years. The people of the Congo or the people of Zimbabwe or the oppressed people of South Africa or the people of Mozambique, Angola, Sudan, Somalia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Bosnia, Kosovo. They had peace for 58 years? You've got to think about what these people say, this is nonsense."

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At about 8.15am, Dr Brian Edwards comes on to the show for a regular weekly discussion about the news media and brings up the topic of how journalism is becoming the domain of women. Dr Edwards says that there are far more women bylines in newspapers than men, saying it is a marked change in the gender profile of the media.

Holmes: Do you think it's making our journalism ignorant and bitchy do you think?

Edwards: No, I don't think so. I think it's unfortunate if you have a significant imbalance in any profession. I think the journalism profession ought to represent the reality of the society around it. And if women are outnumbering men two to one, you do have some sort of imbalance there ...