New Zealand First is facing a difficult struggle to get re-elected, but Josh Van Veen, who was once a researcher for Winston Peters, argues that there is still a very significant section of cultural conservatives who oppose mass immigration and political correctness and might yet be won back over to the party’s warnings about “woke …
Can we trust New Zealand’s military? There must now be serious doubt, given the landmark report released on Friday concluding the investigation into allegations made in the book Hit and Run by Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson about a 2010 SAS killing raid in Afghanistan. The most recent Colmar Brunton Public Sector Reputation Index found …
Have unions and the Government sold workers short with their attempt at fixing the so-called “Hobbit Law”? Unionist Ian Powell argues that the union movement has been outmanoeuvered, and the Government has agreed to a new piece of anti-worker legislation that retains the principles of the previous National Government’s hated law that it promised to …
If you want to understand what is happening in this year’s election campaign, it’s worth looking to the past for guidance. Colin James delves into recent contests and finds some interesting parallels. July 28 is 53 days before the 2020 election. Just 53 days before the 2017 election Jacinda Ardern walked into a press …
Does scandal matter? Political analyst John A.Z. Moore and Democracy Project director Dr Bryce Edwards join the Democracy Project’s Geoffrey Miller to discuss the fallout from the abrupt end to the careers of Labour minister Iain Lees-Galloway and National MP Andrew Falloon. Plus: the Winston Peters superannuation court case and the future of NZ First.
Winston Peters can probably afford to pay the $320,000 costs awards against him in his unsuccessful attempt to sue over the leak of his superannuation information, but in reviewing the outcome of this important case lawyer Graeme Edgeler argues that it shows just how broken the litigation system is, leading to a less democratic society. …
If New Zealand First can position itself as the only party to offer voters a “Road to Somewhere”, then we may be in for a shock on election night. Josh Van Veen, who was once a party member and researcher for Winston Peters, applies some of the lesson of a recent, landmark book about British …
Health commentator Ian Powell – formerly the Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists – visited Cuba earlier this year, learning about their health system, and says the country has now done extremely well in combating Covid-19, especially given the attempts by their neighbour to undermine their very existence. The United States …
Millionaires and billionaires can step up today and start making proper contributions to improving the world. They do not need to wait for governments to act. A group of 83 wealthy people calling themselves “Millionaires for Humanity” earlier this week released an open letter calling on governments to raise taxes on people like them “Immediately. …
Judith Collins is the new National Party leader: John A.Z. Moore joins the Democracy Project’s Geoffrey Miller to discuss the implications of National’s dramatic leadership change.
When Parliament sits next Tuesday, the Prime Minister will finally meet her match. Judith Collins and Jacinda Ardern are opposites in just about every respect. Yet they have the same basic appeal. Ardern and Collins are as much cultural icons as they are political leaders. Each represents a different side of the New Zealand character, …
Today’s content Tiwai Point to close Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Government subsidising practically everything plays hardball with Rio Tinto (paywalled) Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Sudden closure of aluminium smelter worst outcome for jobs, consumers and the environment Brian Fallow (Herald): Tiwai closure sad news – and an opportunity for the environment (paywalled) Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Rio Tinto are not good corporate …
As the debate over assisted dying rages in the run-up to the referendum at the election on September 19, a persistent problem continues to dog the discussions. That is to say, a prominent spokesperson for a particular group takes a strong public stand in opposition without acknowledging that they don’t speak for all the members …
The Green Party of Aotearoa-New Zealand could go from helping Jacinda Ardern run the country, to being turfed out of Parliament altogether in ten weeks. And that could see the end of Labour in government. Without them, Labour would likely have to do what no party has done since the introduction of the current MMP …
Today’s content National Party revealed as source of Covid-19 privacy leak Audrey Young (Herald): National’s failures on patient leak from top to bottom (paywalled) Luke Malpass (Stuff): National leader Todd Muller found wanting in first real test of moral leadership Jo Moir (RNZ): How the Hamish Walker Covid-19 patient detail leak played out Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Muller says he’s lost …
Green Party tax and welfare plans: John A.Z. Moore joins the Democracy Project’s Geoffrey Miller for an in-depth discussion of issues raised in an article by Dr. Bryce Edwards.
Today’s content Labour Party Thomas Manch (Stuff): It might be ‘team’ Labour, but there’s little doubt about who’s the skipper, and ‘saviour’ Audrey Young (Herald): No ordinary Labour speech by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (paywalled) Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Ardern asks NZ to move her towards a second term Richard Harman (Politik): Labour’s red glow Justin Giovannatti (Spinoff): Ardern rouses faithful with …
The Greens have shaken up the election campaign with the announcement of their radical poverty and action plan to reform welfare provision and introduce a new wealth tax for millionaires. It’s a big-thinking, controversial policy and has generated a lot of disagreement over how radical it is, whether it could work, and what it might …
My house is currently supplied electricity by Meridian. As soon as I can change I will because Meridian spilled water to hike electricity prices. They got consumers to spend an extra $80 million on power unnecessarily. Clever them. The Electricity Authority has called their behaviour an “undesirable trading situation”, or “UTS”. Where shall I start …
When Jacinda Ardern unexpectedly became the Labour Party leader shortly before the 2017 general election, she promised to lead a government of transformation. After nearly three years occupying the Treasury benches, health professionals working in public hospitals have been keenly waiting for transformational progress, including in the capacity and quality of hospital buildings where a …