Bollard buys up spoof annual

Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard has ways of keeping a lid on details of his mythical double life as a "beer-swilling bogan tough dude".

He just buys all the copies of the spoof book New Zealand Reserve Bank Annual 2010.

Downtown Wellington's Unity Books sold all 55 copies of the satirical book before Christmas, leaving an information vacuum for central bank watchers until mid-January.

The book, by South Island author David Haywood, portrays Dr Bollard drinking a dozen DB Brown before heading off in his ute to "sort out the Briscoes lady once and for all".

"I don't generally read books containing violence, pornography and tough dudes, but in this case I have made an exception," Dr Bollard said. "Overall I feel it enhances my reputation."

Asked if he was considering legal action against the author, Dr Bollard said: "I have my own way of getting back at someone I don't like."

Dr Bollard is not expected to raise interest rates for authors or anyone else until the middle of next year. Aside from that, he can bar satirists from becoming bank executives.

Sources said Dr Bollard may have bought out all the remaining copies of the book at Unity in an effort to keep it out of the public gaze.

Dr Bollard said he had only bought "enough to meet all my Christmas present needs".

- © Fairfax NZ News