Hearing Bill English say something I can agree with is always worth a comment, so it was good to hear him say that he is looking for a stronger dose of reality from the tax task force than he – and we – got from Don Brash’s productivity task force. Let’s hope we see that.

I’d like to know what it cost the government to have Don Brash prepare and deliver what amounts to a party political manifesto for Act. And to rub salt in the wound, it appears that the task force will be kept on to deliver a further report each year. Given that the report has been rubbished by everyone except the Business Roundtable and Act, it’s hard to see the justification for keeping Don Brash on the public payroll. Not exactly a shining example of public sector productivity. But there seems few limits on the government’s willingness to spend public money to keep its coalition partners happy.

There is something particularly hypocritical about the behaviour of Act MPs. The party of small government and individual responsibility seems very willing to milk the public purse for all its worth. At least Rodney Hide had the decency (and political nous) to apologise for his travel spending. Not so Roger Douglas, who is apparently unrepentant. He is clearly becoming an embarrassment even to Act – Rodney Hide conspicuously did not defend Roger Douglas when questioned recently on Radio NZ about his travel spending.

The coalition agreement between Act and National seems designed to use public money to prop up Act. It’s time National got some new friends.