Over and out from arch-stirrer Banksie

The Broadcasting Standards Authority will be sighing with relief at the news that outspoken former cabinet minister John Banks has pulled the plug on his Radio Pacific breakfast show.

Mr Banks, who is leaving radio after eight years to pursue business commitments, has generated more complaints than anyone, something he said yesterday that he was proud of.

"It's just a pity they don't hand out certificates."

Labelled everything from a racist to the people's saviour, the self-titled Banksie finished the way he began. "Top of the morning, battlers," he said, "get yourself a glass of red wine."

While spending most of yesterday's 6 am-9 am show fielding calls from fans, he found time to pledge support for Mark Middleton, the stepfather of murdered teenager Karla Cardno, who was convicted on three of five charges of threatening to kill her murderer.



Mr Banks called killer Paul Dally a "subnormal reptile."

He also voiced support for Dover and Jacqui Samuels, lamented the loss of discipline in schools, and praised New Zealand for becoming a "dob-in" society.

It was this penchant for speaking his mind to a daily audience of about 150,000 that regularly landed him in hot water.

His most famous on-air incident was in March 1995, when he spoke to a so-called Maori dole bludger named Hone.

Hone turned out to be National Party senior whip John Carter, a close friend of Mr Banks. Mr Carter resigned, and Mr Banks denied knowing anything about the deception.

In 1996, Mr Banks fell foul of the standards authority after describing abortion as "state-funded genocide."

In April 1998, the authority found he had breached broadcasting standards by urging listeners opposed to a goat cull in Wanganui to dump the carcasses at the Conservation Department.

He was later fined $500 for calling DoC staff "filthy perverts."

In November 1999, the authority censured him for suggesting Britomart developer Jihong Lu should return to Asia. He had said: "We don't want to pour our money down your loo, Mr Lu."

The authority fined Radioworks, owner of Radio Pacific, $1000 in July after upholding complaints that in February Mr Banks had encouraged racial discrimination by calling Italy's America's Cup team "greasy, poncy Italians" and "snivelling little rats."

A day after that tirade, and after admitting he had been asked by management to clean up his act, the man who made his money from Italian-style restaurants said Italians were good people, "bronzed in their G-strings, great in their singing."

Finally, in September, the authority upheld a complaint by former Tranz Rail spokesman Fred Cockram after Mr Banks wrongly claimed Tranz Rail was a United States-owned company and referred to Mr Cockram as "this lapdog," "this rooster" and "snivelling."

Mr Banks, who described the authority as a nitpicking outfit, escaped punishment for calling parking wardens "lowlifes," Japanese "the enemy" and for pretending to interview the Pope in 1995.

- NZPA