Here's a lesson for life - beware the opportunist. 

In this case I refer to Christopher Hipkins, leader of the Labour Party and now, apparently, keen speculator and sports fan. 

He is telling us it is time to get the America's Cup back to New Zealand. Now why would he be saying that do you think? 

Could it be that as we watch the action in Spain, we can mount an argument it should really be held here, like the good, old days? 

Ahh, the good, old days. Remember those days? 

This is where Christopher hopes you have memory loss. The reason the America's Cup left New Zealand is because of the dealings with the Government. And what Government was that, Christopher? 

That’s right - it was your Government. 

The dealings with the Government fell over. Now, this is not to say dealings with Governments had not been previously fraught, because they had. 

But the last time the Cup was here and about to move offshore, the Government had offered Team New Zealand $99m. They had rejected that. 

Part of the reason for the rejection was that it, allegedly, was mostly in kind of a “have some freebies” sort of deal from central and local Government. The actual cash came to about $30m, which wasn't enough for Team New Zealand. 

It was suggested at the time that they were wanting $200m but could have/would have taken $150m or $160m. 

Upshot was, it wasn’t enough. 

You can go down a million paths - did Labour do enough? Stuart Nash, who was their point man, said yes and that it was in good faith, it just didn’t work. 

So what is it Hipkins is thinking he can do this time? Has he got the $200m or, most likely, more needed now? Where is he getting that from? 

Does he think he is competing successfully with Spain for the next round, or quite possibly Saudi Arabia? 

Dare I suggest he is a small town opportunist who wants easy attention to look like a good guy at a time when the sport is back in the news? 

Is he all mouth and no trousers? 

How much do you want to bet if pushed he has given it not one second more thought than the bubble he uttered that led to the headline?