Woolly thinking sure is alive and well

In NZ, we know about the dubious criticism a female Prime Minister gets about being a woman, with no children, who has the audacity to lead a country as if in way her gender makes her underqualified for the job.THE newspaper report from Hawke's Bay about police stopping four men and 11 sheep in a car raised more questions than it answered.

The story said it was a hatchback, but what kind?

I would have thought the car industry would be keen to know and use the information in advertising. They are always shouting about how roomy the various makes and models are.

Often the ads show a family - mum, dad, four kids, three canoes, two bicycles plus a mother-in-law with a partridge in a small cage - just to demonstrate how much can be carried.

You would think that any vehicle that can carry four grown men and 11 sheep would be a winner with farmers - but then again maybe not.

It is alleged the men had stolen the sheep. It will be interesting to hear the defence's argument. They might go for sympathy and try to pull the wool over the jury's eyes and convince them that the sheep were hitch-hiking to a place where the grass was greener and the men, out of kindness, had offered them a lift. Or perhaps they needed something soft to rest their heads on for the long trip or they were feeling the cold. It was not clear from the report how the driver could see out the window.

If it proves to have been sheep-napping, I hope the woolly victims get the justice they deserve.

I am feeling smug this week. A few columns back I made a bunch of predictions for the political future for 2013 - the Year of the Water Snake. A recent poll seems to suggest that on many counts I was right. The poll confirmed that National was in trouble on issues of trust, Labour is getting more certain about what it actually wants and all the minor parties are disappearing.

Except for the Greens - they will remain in Parliament; not because they have done anything particularly wonderful but because the planet is asking to be heard.

Public opinion has marked Hekia Parata's education portfolio performance with a fail and would like to see her sent to the back of the class.

Mr Prosser will probably have to go into hiding now that he has successfully managed to annoy a third of the world's population with his inane utterings.

Winston Peters might have to join him. They can play duets together on the xenophobe to pass the time.

Did Winston think surrounding himself with dimwits would make him look cleverer?

It is interesting watching from the sidelines as the leadership of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard is being tested.

In NZ, we know about the dubious criticism a female Prime Minister gets about being a woman, with no children, who has the audacity to lead a country as if in way her gender makes her underqualified for the job. (Refer exhibit A: Helen Clark)

From what I have seen and heard from Julia Gillard she seems more than equal to the task.

The talk of replacing her seems to be a bit like sacking the captain because the whole team isn't playing very well.

She seems to know her stuff. I must admit to having a quiet snigger whenever she mentions the leader of the opposition, Tony Abbott. It always sounds like she's calling him Mr Rabbit. I put it down to the Aussie twang but I must admit it has occurred to me that she might be doing it. Terry Sarten writes from across the Tasman as a musician, social worker and staunch Whanganuite. Email feedback:tgs@inspire.net.nz