Sir Peter Williams QC has died at the age of 80.

This was expected. He hasn't been well for a long time.

There is no question Peter Williams was one of the more prominent defence lawyers in modern times.

He was also a fierce advocate for prisoners' rights. He spoke out about the prison system. He was an advocate for prisoner rehabilitation. I think he kind of thought prisons were inhumane. He was particularly critical of the old Mt Eden prison. He was instrumental in changes to prison conditions.

I didn't agree with Peter all of the time on prisons and how prisoners should be treated, but I always listened intently and respected his views. He was one hell of a smart man. Great communicator. That's probably why he was such a great defence lawyer.

More to the point - he was always courteous and gracious with his time.

The legal system will miss Sir Peter Williams QC.

SURPLUS

Just a month ago, Bill English was being slammed by Labour for forecasting a deficit.

The whaling that followed was like kindergarten stuff.

Press releases and interviews on how the government had broken a promise, how they had campaigned on a surplus. And now, with the pending deficit, they were breaking a promise. They should hold their heads in shame.

They had lied to the public. The government was deceitful.

It was all nonsense of course. When economic conditions deliver a lower dairy payout and we have record low inflation and interest rates, something had to give. It was no surprise that a deficit that was margin of error stuff was likely. A surplus was always a target - a target based on Treasury assumptions.

Anyway, surprise surprise. Yesterday we find out that the Government has recorded a $448 million surplus in the 10 months to the end of April, and by golly gosh, they might make a surplus this year after all.

I don't think they will, but I note there wasn't much coming from Labour on this yesterday. Silence.

TV3

TV3 is copping flak over another reality TV show.

The latest target is a cooking show which will fill the slot until the new replacement for Campbell Live - social media has gone nuts.

The reality is, and this has been overlooked in all the faux outrage over Campbell Live, so too has the fact that Campbell was offered a contract and rejected it, but the reality is, TV3 is being set up to be hocked off.

Reality TV is cheap to make. It's even cheaper if NZ on Air, that is the taxpayer, is paying for it.

TV3 will be sold. TV3 has been a financial basket case. Investors have lost their shirts. So, its cut it to the bone and flog it off. The US vulture fund has got only one agenda. Sell.

The people within TV3 orchestrating the sell-off, the ones infatuated with reality TV, will make millions.

That's how it all works.

CRICKET

The Black Caps got a tickle up by England in the first one day game - beaten by 210 runs.

For the World Cup finalists, it was a reality call and a big boost for England who have floundered in recent times.

It doesn't actually mean anything - apart from the fact that cricket can be a fickle thing.

So many of these games are played now that there's little at stake, but for the Black Caps it's a timely reminder that they will always be coming after you.

Well done England.

OECD

The latest OECD report is pretty scathing on many fronts but none more so than housing.

In short - they blame red tap for the shortage of affordable housing. The RMA. The councils restricting land. It's time the RMA was gutted.

Supply is the critical issue, still.

REAL GROOVY

The music store Real Groovy in Upper Queen St is to bowled over to make way for apartments.

Now Real Groovy will no doubt find another home and do very well, but the decision to consent apartments on Queen Street of all places is yet another example of how dysfunctional the Auckland Council planners are.

Systematically they are butchering the city. 

The Mayor and the council do nothing. Disgrace.