I am glad the RNZ/TVNZ merger is getting the noise it deserves.

The trouble with mass reform under ideological Governments is certain things attract headlines and a lot of stuff doesn’t.

The Fair Pay Agreements, I think, deserved more noise than they got, given the chaos they are going to cause around the economy.

And the merger is another such matter than was always going to struggle against scandals like Covid and lockdowns and Three Waters and charging farmers for being farmers.

But as the spotlight gets shone on the merger ideology it's become increasingly obvious there is actually nothing that drives it.

The Prime Minister, who seems to have settled on an approach of literally making it up as she goes, yesterday suggested that if they didn’t merge it Radio New Zealand might collapse.

That of course is errant nonsense given the Government writes the cheques.

But part of her argument was that they had lost audience, which is correct. Their main programme in the morning has lost a lot of audience. I know, because most of its turned up here.

And the reason it's turned up here is we aren't boring. But a merger in and of itself won't change that for them.

It's a lot like Ardern's claim that if you don’t back Three Waters your rates will increase, which isn't true either. Rates increase all over the place, all the time and none of it has to do with water or central Government because it's not their business.

She also rolled out that tired old line that we need more trust in the media, which is true. But it's not directly related to a merger, or indeed the Government having anything to do with media.

When pressed, what we have learned is there is not a single solid idea behind any of this. Not a single light bulb moment where you go "ah that’s why, that makes sense".

Along with their mad polytech idea, the centralisation of health, their obsession with Maorifying everything - the merger just seems to be part of a crazed grab bag of ideological thought bubbles they dreamed up in opposition years ago that they would have a crack at next time they turned up in Government.

If I was them I would read the poll which has the majority of us against it, and kill it.

If they honestly believe a combination of Willie Jackson and Tracey Martin is broadcasting's future, then it's time they handed the place over to some adults.