The question of Collegiate must be a vexed one for any Labour candidate or supporter in Wanganui, especially after Chris Hipkins' spray in Parliament.

The title for this column - Waiting For Heaven - is taken from a song I wrote a few years ago after performing at hospice.

Tomorrow is Father's Day. The day many fathers dread. And not just because the family is trying so hard to make an effort to be nice to dad.

As Grandparents, parents, caregivers, teachers and politicians we often debate what we should be doing individually and collectively to improve Maori achievement in the education system.

I have been enjoying a book by Bill Bryson called The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid in which he tells of his life as a child of the 1950s in Des Moines, US, capturing the giddy era of the post-war boom in America.

No one enjoys watching the All Blacks beat the Wallabies probably more than me, although over the years it has gotten to the stage that I am starting to have sympathy for our long-suffering rivals.

Today sees the launch of our new-look Wanganui Chronicle website - an exciting development in our online coverage.

Well, it's getting close now - the opening night of Repertory's The Importance of Being Earnest is this Friday night.