Tearaway Tamihere is back and ready to fire

John Tamihere

Ousted Cabinet minister John Tamihere is on the comeback trail - and preparing to raise more hackles with a campaign for "men's rights".

"The bloke's going back to business," he said yesterday as he prepared for the launch of his new talkback radio show this morning.

Cash-strapped after losing his Cabinet seat and paying lawyers' fees to defend his actions at the Waipareira Trust, Mr Tamihere confirmed he would be earning about $100 an hour for the three-hour Radio Live show.

"It's not the money, it's the fun - I reckon it'll be a lot of fun," he told the Herald on Sunday.

And on Friday he plans to speak at a Men Alive meeting at theWaitakere City Council Chambers, criticising the lack of support for New Zealand men amid their "continuing malfunctioning".

"I just think we need a greater emphasis on progress researching not just men's health, but men's education and performance on a number of terrible social trends."
Though he hoped to get through to the election without getting himself in trouble again, he acknowledged there was always potential for his views to land him in hot water: "Your closet is never empty of skeletons if you continue to make them. I'm not in this business to express no views."

Today marks his return from two weeks of exile in west Auckland and a stress break with his two sons in Hauraki, taking them out each day in a boat off Waihi Beach.

He was unconcerned about the scrutiny his new show would be under and the potential for calls from Opposition supporters.

"That's going to be part of the territory. I'll pretty soon work out who they are."

And how would he handle callers' questions about his attack on his "smarmy", "queer" and "butch" colleagues, made in an interview with Investigate editor Ian Wishart? "I'll cross those bridges when I come to them."

In a Radio Live News interview to run this morning, Mr Tamihere said he was looking forward to returning to Parliament this week: "I wouldn't miss it for quids."

He described the talkback show as a way to reach a key working class voting group - and provide a job opportunity if he loses his seat at the election.

"I think it's a wonderful opportunity for a person like me ... Instead of being cut and sliced up by certain people in the media, you can actually have a more engaging, more informative discussion, and they can't cut you to pieces."

"I've got views on a heap of things - most of them are informed, a few of them ain't."

He said the show would include "culture", from expert analysis to music to poetry, "talkback with attitude".

"As a politician you go to Wellington and if you don't say anything, you're bloody hopeless. If you say too much, you're a maverick and you're hopeless. So somewhere in between has got to be about right," he said.

"If you want people that are just going to roll over and say things that people want to hear and then do other things, that ain't me, forget it."


- HERALD ON SUNDAY