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| "It's not? It's not Australia? I thought it was Australia. Don't you have kangaroos and such here?... New Zealand? Really? What do they have in New Zealand?... Kiwis? And sheep? And those fruits that look like great big hairy grapes?" |
Cherie's brand of platitudinous, illogical and nonsensical PC mind-farting is feted by the UK's chattering Guardianista class. Count yourselves lucky you don't get to hear more of it.
British newspaper journalists were removed from the Auckland Convention Centre shortly before the half-hour speech began. [L]ater, after a dinner of prawns, rack of lamb and pistachio cheesecake, she struggled to live up to her superstar billing, according to members of the audience. "I thought Cherie was very poor," said Caroline Canning, 34, an insurance executive. "She flogged her book, and for a woman of her credentials she could have had a lot more weight and talked about her work with human rights. Instead it was all about who painted which walls in Downing Street - peripheral crap. Sharlene McDonald, 45, also an insurance executive, said: "I'd give her three out of 10. We were expecting nine out of 10." A local celebrity chef, Peta Mathias, said: "I was expecting something more intellectual. I had no idea she would be talking about the book." Mrs Blair, wearing a bright turquoise silk coat and dress, entered the conference hall alongside the prime minister, Helen Clark, to a standing ovation and the strains of a song called You Are Amazing.
An amazing liability, perhaps.
Ticket sales in Auckland and the proceeds of a charity auction have already raised nearly £180,000 from Mrs Blair's New Zealand visit, without counting commercial sponsorships. It has been reported that she will receive a third of proceeds, the same proportion as the charities.