That whakaaro always seemed to resonate with me. It's not like I'm whakama when it comes to sharing he kapu, but it sure helps to get the tounges wagging.

“Hi Bob, this one is printed on recycled paper.”

Now, the easy thing to do would be to ignore him, or apologise, but instead the MP sent Bob another card the following year with a additional message written just for him…

Bob was still writing columns and devoted the following edition to a rant about what he thought was the profligate nature of MPs spending of taxpayer dollars on sending out material.

One year the MP wrote Christmas cards to thousands of people, including Bob: a huge logistical challenge to be sure.

The second anecdote illustrates if there is a positive lesson from his example, it was his respect for those who would not cower from a battle.

I used to work for a Labour MP based in the electorate where Bob lived.

“Really! I thought you were bloody Armenian”.

He then gave me his business card and offered me a job. I chose not to take up that opportunity.

Somehow I had fallen into a discussion circle with Bob, and after a while (I assume to size me up and whatever I was talking about) he addressed me directly.

“So, are you from New Zealand?” he said.

I said “yeah, absolutely”

“Like, born here”

“Yeah, born and raised”

The first was when I had just moved to Wellington and I had somehow gatecrashed a book launch (it was Two Titans by Jon Johansson IIRC).