The Economist says that raising the pension age is inevitable.

The consensus on the unsustainability of pensions as we baby boomers have known them is becoming unmistakable.

Last week saw the release of a Treasury paper, coninciding with a survey by The Economist, met by John Key reviving his pledge to block pension reform.

 Does John Key have a strategy on pensions? Is he going to cling to a foolish assurance for so long that he acheives the unthinkable and gets virtually the entire nation united in a demand to raise the age of 'retirement" simply out of exasperation at his obduracy.

Is it possible that he is playing poker with Labour, calculating that they will have to start demanding that he gets out of the way of reform, to differentiate from National, or to stir up dissension within National, or to show that Labour can be responsible economic managers?

Then he can spring the trap, reluctantly concede, and accept being thrown into his Brer Rabbit bramble bush.

There must be some cunning plan. Please.