Wellington, Dec 18 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key remains hopeful of a deal at Copenhagen but thinks if progress is to be made ambitions may need to lower.

Last week John Key said that New Zealanders could now kick the tyres of MMP at the upcoming referendum on the system to be held in conjunction with the 2011 election.

Today, July 20th, 2009 marks the fortieth anniversary of humankind's first landing on the Moon.

This week we have been assailed in the media by John Key and other economic commentators by the news that the economic recovery is supposedly near at hand.