Mt Albert heats up

While it's been a disastrous two weeks for former media star Melissa Lee in handling the media, it seems another media darling is hoping he'll have better luck.

Ben Boyce from Pulp Sport is listed as one of the 15 candidates standing in the Mt Albert by-election. He says he thought he was going to be the only joke candidate "but after Melissa Lee's recent comments, it seems I was wrong".

Boyce hit the streets of Mt Albert to pose with his potential constituents and was snapped with a local. He reckons he's "standing up for the rights of all those from Mt Albert to sit down." "I'm not interested in a motorway or a tunnel for Mt Albert, I'm planning on introducing a log flume instead," Boyce deadpanned. "I'm currently devising a complex pulley system so we can pick up the entire suburb of Mt Albert and move it to Remuera.

A very costly initiative but I believe it will pay off as once the Mt Albert homes are in Remuera, their value will skyrocket. Being on a sports comedy TV show will help me get the male vote and being more feminine than the last Mt Albert MP will help with the females," Boyce said.

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Before Mike Hosking hung up on me last week, he admitted he was offered the role as spokesman for the pork industry during Mike King's reign in the position, but turned it down. Why, I asked? Did you do due diligence?

Evidently something King didn't do before accepting the contract to front an ad campaign promoting pork - and worth at least $50,000 per year. "That was years ago," the Hosk snapped. "I don't want to talk about it. It was just a little comment I made on the radio. Anyway happy days."

Click. Hosking hanging up on me has become quite commonplace now, so I no longer take offence. He's just playing hard to get, I reckon. The Hosk may not be willing to talk about why he was happy to say no to being the face of pigs, but I wanted to get to the bottom of the trough and find out why he says the Pork Board was willing to get rid of King in favour of him.

Sam McIvor, chief executive of New Zealand Pork, said he knew nothing of Hosking being approached to front anything for the pork industry. Perhaps it was his predecessor, he said.

Click here to see the launch of Costume National Scents.

 

Rachel Glucina

Pictured above: Bill and Ben with a friendly local. Photo / Supplied