less than a week we will have a new Prime Minister. We were inspired by Joseph Park tonight. We have the contenders in the ring tonight. TONIGHT ` REFUSING TO GIVE UP. IT IS FAR SAFER NOW TO ENTER THE MINE THAN IT WAS ORIGINALLY. BUT CAN THE PIKE RIVER FAMILIES CONVINCE NICK SMITH OF THAT? IT CANNOT BE DONE SAFELY. SO, A WHILE AGO, WE MET CHRIS ` A SELF-DECLARED 'BIG UNIT'. AND HIS GOAL WAS TO GET HIS SON TO RAINBOW'S END. WELL, NOW THE TWO OF US 'BIG UNITS' HAVE MADE IT TO RAINBOW'S END. HAVEN'T WE? AND... MOST PEOPLE WOULD CONSIDER THE SUBJECT OF BUGS TO BE PRETTY BORING. BUT THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT BORING WHEN WETA WORKSHOP GETS INVOLVED. THEY'RE MAGICAL. DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF SEVEN SHARP, WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH AN IMPASSE. ONCE AGAIN, THE FAMILIES OF THE PIKE RIVER MINERS ARE AT TOTAL ODDS WITH THE MINE'S OWNERS, SOLID ENERGY. THE FAMILIES ARE DESPERATE TO SEE IF THEY CAN RECOVER BODIES. SOLID ENERGY IS RESOLUTE IN SAYING THEY CAN'T. BUT A MAN WHO WENT INTO THE MINE AFTER THE EXPLOSION IS ITCHING TO GET BACK IN. HE SAYS IT CAN BE DONE SAFELY, AND IT COULD BE DONE TOMORROW. HERE'S MIKE THORPE. MELANCHOLIC PIANO MUSIC THIS IS AS CLOSE AS THEY CAN GET TO THEIR MEN. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO UP THERE ANY TIME I WANT. IT'S JUST PRETTY FRUSTRATING. THEY GATHER HERE EACH MORNING TO STOP THE MINE FROM BEING SEALED. BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY WE'LL BE LETTING ANY SUPPLIES GO THROUGH THAT GATE. THEY GATHER HERE TO STOP THE PIKE 29 FROM BEING ENTOMBED. THIS IS STILL A CRIME SCENE HERE. ALL WE'RE BASICALLY ASKING FOR IS A SIMPLE WALK UP THE DRIFT. IMPOSSIBLE, ACCORDING TO SOLID ENERGY. BUT ONE EXPERT AT LEAST IS BACKING IT. THE LAST MAN INSIDE THE MINE IS READY TO RETURN. IT'S AN IRRESPIRABLE ATMOSPHERE. IT'S INERT. NOTHING CAN BURN. NOTHING WILL LIGHT. NOTHING CAN EXPLODE. IT'S THE MOST PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO GO IN. IT IS NO DIFFERENT TO A FIREMAN GOING ABOUT HIS DAILY DUTIES OR A DIVER DIVING DOWN ON TO A WRECK. HAROLD GIBBENS WAS AMONG THE RESCUE RESPONSE WHEN THE MINE EXPLODED ON NOVEMBER 19 2010. WE ACTUALLY WANTED TO WALK UP THERE RIGHT THERE AND THEN AND DO A SEARCH FOR BODIES, BUT WE HAD A JOB TO DO, WHICH WAS TO PUT THAT SEAL UP TO MAKE THE MINE SAFE. HE WOULD GLADLY LEAD THE RE-ENTRY, A JOB HE SAYS HE IS TRAINED TO DO AND HAS DONE IN MORE PERILOUS SITUATIONS. IT'S OK TO SEND MINES RESCUE TEAMS IN TO DO A SEAL OF A MINE THAT'S ON FIRE. WHEN PIKE RIVER IS IN THE MOST SAFEST CONDITIONS IT COULD BE, IT SEEMS IT'S NOT ALL RIGHT TO DO THAT. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY. HAROLD IS NO LONGER WITH MINES RESCUE, BUT HE'S BEEN IN MINING FOR 20 YEARS, AND HE'S ADAMANT THE RECOVERY CAN BE DONE. AN EXPLORATORY TEAM COULD WALK UP THAT DRIFT AND BE IN AND OUT IN ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF TO TWO HOURS. THAT'S ALL IT WOULD TAKE ` TWO HOURS. YOU'D HAVE VOLUNTEERS. THERE'D BE NO COST IN THAT. MINES RESCUE WOULD PROVIDE THE SETS AND THE GEAR. YOU COULD HAVE A TEAM IN THERE TOMORROW. THE QUESTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN ` WHAT WOULD YOU FIND? WHAT COULD YOU FIND AFTER ALL THIS TIME? BERNIE BELIEVES IMAGES FROM WITHIN THE MINE HAVE ANSWERED THAT. WE'VE ALREADY` BEYOND THE ROCKFALL THERE, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN MEN, TWO MEN, SITTING IN THERE ` ONE SITTING UP, ONE LAYING IN THE DRIFT ` AND THEY DESERVE TO COME HOME TO THEIR FAMILIES. HAROLD THINKS THERE COULD BE UP TO A DOZEN MORE IN THE DRIFT. WE KNOW IT WAS SHIFT CHANGE. THERE WAS A VEHICLE COMIN' OUT WITH PERSONNEL ON BOARD. AND IF THERE'S BODIES THERE, THEY DESERVE A DECENT BURIAL. IF TIME IS STANDING STILL INSIDE PIKE RIVER MINE, IT'S MARCHING ON OUTSIDE OF IT. I DON'T WANNA HEAR IN 20 YEARS' TIME THAT WE SHOULD'VE GONE UP THE DRIFT AND WE DID FIND SOMEONE UP THE DRIFT AND I WISH THEY'D DONE IT 20 YEARS AGO, AND I WON'T BE HERE TO SEE THAT, SO I'M GONNA KEEP PUSHING AND PUSHING UNTIL SOMETHING GETS DONE. It's been going on for six years now. WE TOOK THAT QUESTION TO ENVIRONMENT MINISTER NICK SMITH. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO FIND SOME TECHNICAL ADVISER IN SOME PART OF THE WORLD WHO MIGHT SAY IT'S POSSIBLE. BUT ALL I HAVE RECEIVED IS A ONE-PAGE LETTER FROM ONE IN AUSTRALIA WHO SAYS THAT IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE, AS COMPARED WITH OVER... NINE REPORTS, 650 PAGES OF DETAILED RISK ANALYSIS, $5M SPENT ON THAT WORK AND A CONCLUSION THAT IT CANNOT BE DONE. Here is the interesting thing. The inference from the families is that the government has spent the last six years preventing this from happening. This isn't the case. No one does that. Nick Smith is right. I met the guy who wrote the original report, and he says you can go on and no problem, but what if something does go wrong? It was probably a lot more simple than that to the families. They have a guy who was willing to do it, so why would they not give it a go? Because who owns the mine?Solid energy. But it is the state that takes the risk. He is adamant in can be done. They will take the burden of the risk. But six years on, the gap is still there. We hear that it could take an hour and a half. They are clinging on to that. IN JUST UNDER A WEEK, WE'LL HAVE A NEW PRIME MINISTER, SO IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT THE CONTENDERS HAVE MOVED QUICKLY TO JOCKEY FOR POSITION. RIGHT NOW, IT'S A THREE-HORSE RACE ` BILL ENGLISH, JUDITH COLLINS AND JONATHAN COLEMAN. THEY'VE ALL BEEN AROUND FOR AGES, SO YOU MIGHT THINK YOU KNOW THEM, BUT DO YOU REALLY? FIRST UP, THE PRESUMPTIVE PM, BILL ENGLISH. UPBEAT MUSIC Is that his theme song? What you do notice today, what he was saying is that he was young then and he has grown up a bit. There is a guy who has not aged. He looks the same as he did 14 years ago. NOW, CHRIS ` YOU MIGHT REMEMBER HIM. HE CALLS HIMSELF A 'BIG UNIT', AND THAT CAN BE PRETTY LIMITING. NORMALLY, HE SITS BACK, WAITS FOR US IN THE CAR, YOU KNOW, AND IT KIND OF BREAKS MY HEART THAT HE CAN'T COME IN. BUT NOW HE'S SHED SOME POUNDS, HE'S IN FOR A BIG SURPRISE. PLUS, TE PAPA AND WETA WORKSHOP ARE AT IT AGAIN, WORKING ON AN EXCITING NEW EXHIBITION, AND TONIGHT WE GET THE VERY FIRST LOOK. (PLAYS BAGPIPES) IF YOU'RE SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T LIKE THAT SOUND, YOU WILL LIKE THE UNSUSPECTING PERSON BEHIND IT. IT'S GOOD TO PROVE PEOPLE WRONG. # Come put your love on me. # I forgot to mention one of the most interesting aspects of the Pike River thing is allied concrete had a potential contract to fill the mine but said they wouldn't do it. If you are concreting company, would you want to take that on? No way. But what if you need the work and the money? A COUPLE MONTHS AGO WE MET CHRIS KANUTA, A SELF-DESCRIBED 'BIG UNIT'. AT HIS HEAVIEST, HE WEIGHED CLOSE TO A QUARTER OF A TON, BUT HE HIT THE POOLS AND AQUA AEROBICS CLASSES AND STARTED SHEDDING. WHEN WE DID THAT STORY, WE LEARNED HE HAD ONE GOAL IN MIND ` TO TAKE HIS SON TO RAINBOW'S END. WELL, WE WANTED TO HELP HIM REALISE THAT DREAM, SO HERE'S FELLOW AQUA AEROBICISER ERIN CONROY. MY NAME IS CHRIS, AND I DO AQUA AEROBICS. YES, WE FORMED AN AA GROUP WITH A DIFFERENCE. THIS WAS AQUA AEROBICS ANONYMOUS. PUNCH FORWARD. FROM 240 KILOS, CHRIS HAD LOST 60, WITH ANOTHER 60 IN MIND, AND ONE GOAL. DANCE MUSIC IF I CAN GET ON THE RIDES WITH HIM, THAT'D BE AWESOME. BUT TO JUST WALK AROUND THE WHOLE OF RAINBOW'S END TO EACH RIDE AND JUST WATCH HIM ON THE RIDE ` OH, THAT'S SUCH A BLESSING FOR ME. SO AFTER THE STORY AIRED, WE HAD HEAPS OF FEEDBACK, PEOPLE SAYING CHRIS' STORY WAS SO INSPIRING. AND ABOUT HIS GOAL TO GET HIS SON TO RAINBOW'S END ` WASN'T HARD TO FIND HELP WITH THAT. 'CHRIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT HERE UNDER FALSE PRETENCES.' SURPRISE! 'AND WE'D BEEN ON THE PHONE.' NICE TO SEE YOU. NICE TO SEE YOU TOO. WHAT A SET-UP. BOY. YOU GUYS ARE GONNA GET IT, MAN. 'PEOPLE WANTED TO HELP.' RAINBOW'S END HAVE COME TO THE PARTY. THERE'S A VOUCHER FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TO GO. OH WOW. CHRISCO HAVE GIVEN YOU A BRAND-NEW GO PRO SO YOU CAN FILM THE RIDES AND SHOW YOUR DAD IF HE DOESN'T QUITE MAKE IT. YAY! OPEN IT UP! WHOA, LOOK AT THAT ONE, ISAIAH! TODAY THEY'RE HITTING THE PARK. IT'S 8-, ABOUT-TO-TURN 9-YEAR-OLD ISAIAH'S FIRST TIME. WHOA! LOOK AT THAT GUY'S LEG! (LAUGHS) MUM, BABY BROTHER AND COUSIN ARE ALL HERE, AND THIS TIME, DAD IS TOO. IT'S SO EXCITING, COS NORMALLY HE SITS BACK, WAITS FOR US IN THE CAR PARK OR IN THE CAR, AND IT KINDA BREAKS MY HEART THAT HE CAN'T COME IN AND INTERACT WITH WHAT WE'RE UP TO. SCREAMING, LAUGHING CHRIS HAS LOST ANOTHER 5.5 KILOS, BUT THE RIDES STILL NOT AN OPTION. THE ULTIMATE GOAL WAS TO FOLLOW HIM AROUND SO I COULD ACTUALLY JUST WATCH HIM. THAT WAS A BIGGIE FOR ME. AND WATCH, WALK AND WAVE HE DID. ENERGETIC DANCE MUSIC (SCREAMS) HERE WE GO. WHAT'S IT LIKE HAVING YOUR DAD BEING ABLE TO COME AROUND AND WATCH YOU GO ON THE RIDES? AWESOME. OH MAN. THE SMILE ON HIS FACE ` BRILLIANT. CAN'T BEAT IT. PRICELESS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CHRIS' WEIGHT GAIN BEGAN AFTER LOSING BOTH HIS PARENTS AND SEVERAL SIBLINGS IN JUST A FEW SHORT YEARS. HE SPIRALLED INTO DEPRESSION. WHAT'S THE ONE THING THAT'S HELPED YOU GET THROUGH ALL OF THIS? FAMILY. IT'S GOTTA BE FAMILY. (CLEARS THROAT) TO HAVE THAT SUPPORT, KNOWING THAT YOU'VE GIVEN UP ON YOURSELF, AND FOR THEM TO JUST STICK IN THERE AND... (SIGHS) YEAH, IT'S BEEN HARD, BUT... KEEP GOING. COMING HERE TODAY AND HAVING ALL THE FAMILY TOGETHER ` WHAT'S THAT BEEN LIKE? OH, IT'S BLISS. THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY. IT IS BLISS HAVING HIM OUT, HAVING HIM JOIN US, HAVING HIM WITH HIS SON, WATCHING, AND, YEAH. IT'S JUST BLISS. 'SO IT FEELS THE RIGHT TIME TO SET THE NEXT CHALLENGE.' NEXT YEAR, YOU'LL GET ON THE RIDES. NEXT YEAR IS MY ULTIMATE GOAL. OK, WE'LL SET THE GOAL. NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION ` GET ON THE RIDES. YEAH. AND I RECKON HE'LL STICK TO IT. Good on him. HUGE THANKS TO RAINBOW'S END AND CHRISCO FOR MAKING SURE CHRIS AND FAMILY WEREN'T A CENT OUT OF POCKET AND HAD A GREAT AFTERNOON! ALL RIGHT. TIME FOR PRIME MINISTERIAL CONTENDER NUMBER TWO. STEP UP, JONATHAN COLEMAN. UPBEAT MUSIC THERE WERE SOME WORDS SAID ON BOTH SIDES, AND I WAS PUNCHED. IT WILL BE A VERY VERY LONG TIME BEFORE I HAVE A CIGAR AGAIN. I'm glad we're being fair and we have the same music for all of them. And is not one of my favourites but I'm pretty sure was a song from the 90s. See a photo of her in her Jazzercise days. It is true story. LET'S BE HONEST, THE BAGPIPES ARE A POLARISING INSTRUMENT. SOME LOVE THEM, SOME HATE THEM. BUT WHEN SOMEONE'S GOOD, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE INSTRUMENT IS, YOU SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE. THE PERSON YOU'RE ABOUT TO MEET IS BOTH REALLY GOOD AND REALLY YOUNG. SHE'S 15 YEARS OLD AND WINS ADULT COMPETITIONS AND REGULARLY BEATS THE GUYS. HERE'S TIM WILSON WITH ANNA SMART. NOW THAT NCEA IS OVER, ANNA SMART CAN GET BACK TO TEENAGE PRE-OCCUPATIONS. MOSTLY A DAY AT THE BEACH OR HANGING WITH FRIENDS. TRANSLATION? MUCKING AROUND ON HER PHONE LISTENING TO MUSIC, LIKE HER NUMBER-ONE FAVE ARTIST, FLUME. # WHEN YOU SAY IT LIKE THAT, OH-OH, OH, OH... # AS SHE LISTENS, HER FINGERS DO SOMETHING SHE NO LONGER SEES. IT'S A HABIT, A HABIT OF MINE. I'M ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS PLAYING. MY FRIENDS NOTICE IT. MY PARENTS NOTICE IT. YOU SEE, ANNA (15) IS A MUSICIAN HERSELF, PLAYING A POLARISING INSTRUMENT. SOME PEOPLE DO TAKE IT AS, 'OH, IT SOUNDS LIKE DYING CATS.' (SCREECHES) SCOTTISH BORN, KIWI BRED, SHE'S BEEN PLAYING FOR MORE THAN HALF HER BRIEF LIFE ` (PLAYS BAGPIPES) LONG ENOUGH TO BE GOOD ENOUGH TO WIN THE TOP UNDER-21 PRIZE IN THE LAND... THIS IS THE TROPHY THAT I WON IN CHRISTCHURCH. IT'S HEAVY. ...AND TO REGULARLY BEAT GROWN-UPS IN COMPETITION. IT'S GOOD TO PROVE PEOPLE WRONG. OBVIOUSLY, BEING A GIRL IN MAINLY A MALE COMMUNITY OF PIPERS AND WINNING IN IT IS PRETTY COOL. ITCHY-FINGERED ANNA HAS A PLAN. I'D LOVE TO TRAVEL THE WORLD PLAYING MY BAGPIPES, ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE. YOU CAN BET THOSE LIMBER DIGITS WILL BAG A CHANCE TO STRUT THEIR STUFF INTERNATIONALLY. IN THE MEANTIME, ANNA'S FINGERS DANCE TO HER DREAMS. So many issues but that ` you've got the parents. For all parents, avoid the drums. Very few instruments at child level` but she's very good at that. I have a sneaking admiration for the bagpipes. That is real skill. I'm not sure it's a male, female thing, is it? It's not a physical thing. I have a feeling the bagpipes will have a resurgence next year. Richie McCaw will crank out the bagpipes. It is thing. His hobby is gliding. He is a closet bagpiper? I thought this was common knowledge. Half the country are off the sofa on the floor. That is not true. Everyone is going to go ` do you reckon he is wearing anything underneath? He might play down the aisle. Just putting it out there. What if you are wrong? That is embarrassing. NEXT, WE TAKE YOU INTO THE SECRET WORLD OF BUGS. I HAD NO IDEA THAT BUGS ACTUALLY PERFORMED BRAIN SURGERY. AND WE'RE ALL GOING TO LEARN A THING OR TWO. ALL INSECTS COME VERY VERY HAIRY, SO THE FIRST THING THAT WE HAD TO DO WAS SHAVE THEM ALL. # Shout out to my ex. # Hilarity in the break. In 2000, Richie McCaw debuted amazing Grace. It was for his sister's wedding. Here we go. BAGPIPES PLAY that's him playing. That's amazing, isn't it? Say sorry, Tony. You were right. Is just a revelation to us all. Here is visual proof as well. Don't let me down now. Technology. Speaking of weddings, seventh wedding anniversary last night. Yours is a classic reaction. What ask a question ` where the exchange of gifts? No. Fair enough. Surely a card full of love and beautiful words. She looked at me with a blank face. Seven years on, this is not going well. No, we had a beautiful dinner. Christmas is just around the corner. We took a selfie to mark the occasion. Christmas is coming and we took the picture. Marriage goes deeper than cards and gifts. THE LAST TIME WETA WORKSHOP AND TE PAPA TEAMED UP, THEY CREATED THAT EXTRAORDINARY GALLIPOLI EXHIBITION. NOW THEY'VE JOINED FORCES AGAIN BUT FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. THIS TIME, THEY'RE GETTING A VERY INTIMATE, UP-CLOSE VIEW OF THE CREEPY AND CRAWLY. THE FINISHING TOUCHES OF THE NEW EXHIBITION ARE JUST BEING COMPLETED. REBECCA EDWARDS WITH THE SNEAK PEEK. SINISTER MUSIC FLUTTERING, SCREAMING SQUELCHING, SCREECHING WE'RE ONLY ALLOWED THE SNEAKIEST OF PEEKS. THE PERIL BROUGHT ON BY THE JAPANESE HORNET ` LARGEST WASP IN THE WORLD. BUT EVEN THIS TASTER... IT MAKES ITS WAY INTO THE JAPANESE HONEY BEE HIVE AND DECIMATES THE HIVE. ...HAS ALL THE MAKINGS OF A HOLLYWOOD SCI-FI MOVIE. THE JAPANESE HONEY BEE HAS ONE DEFENCE THAT IT'S WORKED OUT. THEY ESSENTIALLY COOK THE HORNET ALIVE. SCREECHING BUT IT'S NO MOVIE THE TEAM AT WETA HAVE BEEN CREATING. THIS IS AN EXHIBITION ` REUNITING WITH TE PAPA TO BRING TO LIFE THE GENIUS OF BUGS. MOST PEOPLE WOULD CONSIDER THE SUBJECT OF BUGS TO BE PRETTY BORING, BUT BUGS ARE EXTRAORDINARY. THEY'RE VARIED. THEY'RE MAGICAL. I JUST CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT WE'VE DISCOVERED ON THIS. YEAH. I HAD NO IDEA THAT BUGS ACTUALLY PERFORM BRAIN SURGERY. BUGS CREATE HIVE MENTALITY TO SAVE THEIR HIVE BY SMOTHERING OTHERS. THERE'S JUST CRAZY STUFF GOING ON, AND THERE'S WONDERFUL STORIES TO BE SHARED. MORE THAN 100 PAIRS OF HANDS HAVE BEEN DELICATELY PUTTING THIS EXHIBITION TOGETHER. WE'VE USED PHOTOGRAMMETRY TO DIGITALLY PHOTOGRAPH, HUNDREDS OF TIMES, THE ACTUAL DISSECTED BUGS, AND THEN WE HAVE UTILISED THAT DATA TO DRIVE A 3D MODEL. WE'VE HAD TO USE VERY LARGE-SCALE 3D PRINTING IN A VERY SIGNIFICANT WAY TO BE ABLE TO GET THE DETAIL. AND GETTING THIS KIND OF DETAIL RIGHT... A BEE'S EYE IS VERY SMALL. ...REQUIRES METICULOUS ATTENTION. HE HAD TO ACTUALLY SHAVE THE EYEBALLS OF A REAL BEE SO THAT THEY COULD GET THE TEXTURE OF THE EYE UNDERNEATH. ALL INSECTS COME VERY VERY HAIRY, SO THE FIRST THING THAT WE HAD TO DO WAS SHAVE THEM ALL. AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE AS SMALL AS THE HEAD OF A PIN. ONE OF OUR STAFF, JAMES, HAS PUT AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH INTO HOW TO CAPTURE THESE BUGS AT EXTRAORDINARY DETAIL, AND THEN THAT INFORMATION INFORMS ALL THE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY THAT MAKES THE BUGS. BUT EVEN IN THIS BUG-EAT-BUG WORLD, THERE'S ONLY SO FAR THE DIGITAL CAN TAKE YOU. IT'S LIKE EVERYTHING. IT ALL TURNS OVER TO HAND-SKILL MODEL MAKING IN THE END, AND AN ARMY OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MODELLING THEM, HAND-PUNCHING THEM. THESE ARE IMPORTED HOG HAIR, SO EVERY HAIR HAS BEEN INDIVIDUALLY PUNCHED IN, AND THERE'S A LOT OF BEES. SO AFTER EIGHT MONTHS OF PLANNING AND PAINSTAKING WORK, THESE CREATIVES ARE READY TO UNLEASH SOMETHING QUITE EXTRAORDINARY ` FIRST TO VISITORS HERE AND THEN AROUND THE WORLD. WE'RE TRYING TO THROW PEOPLE INTO THE FANTASTICAL WORLD OF THE BUGS, AND HOPEFULLY THEY'RE TRANSPORTED OUT OF THEIR MODERN LIVES AND EXPERIENCE SOMETHING SPECIAL INSIDE. BUZZING Just think about where that all comes from ` Peter Jackson, movies, bring it here. How lucky are we to have that? I talk to Richard Taylor. 3-D printing, love it. THE LAST OF THE PRIME MINISTER CONTENDERS NOW ` WELL, FOR NOW, ANYWAY ` JUDITH COLLINS. UPBEAT MUSIC IT'S NOT THAT UNUSUAL. HAVE TO SAY ON THE WHOLE, IT'S BEEN A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE FROM OUR POLITICIANS IN TERMS OF THE WAY THEY'VE REACTED TO JOHN KEY'S RESIGNATION OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. I'M SURE IT MUST HAVE BEEN HARD FOR THE OPPOSITION NOT TO JUMP WITH JOY AND NOT CRITICISE EVERYTHING THEY DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE WAY JOHN KEY HAS LED THIS COUNTRY. ANDREW LITTLE IN PARTICULAR HAS BEEN EXTREMELY DIGNIFIED IN HIS RESPONSE, AND I THINK IT WORKS HUGELY IN HIS FAVOUR TO SHOW THAT BIT OF CLASS, RATHER THAN RESORTING TO THE NOT-SO-SUBTLE DIGS LIKE WINSTON PETERS HAS AS JOHN KEY WALKS OUT THE DOOR. AFTER NEARLY 10 YEARS OF SERVICE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU'VE ENJOYED JOHN KEY OR NOT, HE DESERVES A LEVEL OF RESPECT FOR RUNNING OUR COUNTRY, AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE OUR POLITICIANS ACKNOWLEDGING THAT. SO, THE GOOD THING OUT OF TODAY'S POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IS WE HAVE A CONTEST. HAVING THE LEADER QUIT, ANNOUNCE HIS FAVOURITE THEN HAVE THE WHOLE GANG FALL IN BEHIND WOULD HAVE LOOKED A BIT LIKE CHINA TO ME. A ROBUST CONTEST IS GOOD FOR THE PARTY, THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COUNTRY, WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION THAT WHEN YOU GET A CONTEST, YOU GET FACTIONS, AND AT THIS STAGE, IF THE NUMBERS STAY THE SAME, TWO OF THOSE FACTIONS ARE GOING TO LOSE, WHICH CAN LEAD TO RESENTMENT, BITTERNESS, RUMOURS, DESTABILISATION ` ALL THE THINGS WE HAVE LARGELY AVOIDED FOR THE PAST 15 OR SO YEARS. IF YOU WATCHED LAST NIGHT, YOU KNOW I DON'T THINK ENGLISH IS THE ANSWER. IF THE FIELD STAYS AS IT IS, THEY SHOULD GO WITH COLEMAN, BUT HE'S UNTESTED, HENCE MY DESIRE TO SEE AT LEAST ONE MORE ENTER THE RACE. LET'S SEE WHAT UNFOLDS BEFORE THE END OF THE WEEK. ONE NEWS CAPTIONS BY IMOGEN STAINES AND ALANA DRAYTON. CAPTIONS BY SARAH MAIAVA AND ALEX WALKER. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2016