Author Archive

Our Resistance

Written By: - Date published: 8:55 am, January 11th, 2024 - 7 comments

There are still groups of people in New Zealand who can and do organise to resist the damage of the right.

Darkness Towards Peace

Written By: - Date published: 10:51 am, January 5th, 2024 - 39 comments

Can Israel lose a moral battle in Gaza and yet still win?

New Year’s Resolution

Written By: - Date published: 10:25 am, January 1st, 2024 - 8 comments

With the left out of power, one of the most useful things we can do in 2024 is simply let people know where they can join in and do good.

The Useful Rich

Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, December 31st, 2023 - 64 comments

New Zealand’s rich are endlessly fascinating, but as wealth concentrates ever tighter we are poorer.

Wanaka Has No Crime

Written By: - Date published: 5:06 pm, December 28th, 2023 - 47 comments

The purpose of everyone in New Zealand is to keep Wanaka pure.

Peak NZ Liberal

Written By: - Date published: 9:13 am, December 23rd, 2023 - 69 comments

As National dismantles with speed some of the institutional reforms made by the last Labour Government the concern is that we may have witnessed the peak in progressive influence.

The Mini Budget Today

Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, December 20th, 2023 - 70 comments

Don’t let anyone be fooled this Christmas dinner by what National is setting out today. 

How To Make Bad Law

Written By: - Date published: 12:36 pm, December 11th, 2023 - 15 comments

The cutting of Regulatory Impact Statements is a very serious weakening of holding lawmakers and decision makers  to account.

The inspiring Pope Francis

Written By: - Date published: 5:36 pm, December 6th, 2023 - 18 comments

Pope Francis has been pope for a bit over 10 years. He’s made a difference.

Labour needs to open the military-political front

Written By: - Date published: 10:13 am, December 3rd, 2023 - 28 comments

The new National coalition cares little about defence. Defence is surprisingly a large and under-appreciated strength for Labour.

Just One Term

Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, December 2nd, 2023 - 74 comments

There is every reason to believe National will be chucked out in 2026.

The Left Do Not Own Maori

Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, November 26th, 2023 - 52 comments

Labour, the Greens and liberal parts of the media have not adjusted to the fact that liberal and Maori are different things.

Highlights quoted out of the National-New Zealand First coalition agreement

Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, November 25th, 2023 - 73 comments

Some of the more unusual policies from the National-New Zealand First coalition agreement.

Terror, human shields, and de-legitimising Israel

Written By: - Date published: 2:29 pm, November 21st, 2023 - 43 comments

Hamas is deploying a set of tough ethical calculations as it planned its attack on Israeli civilians to kill, rape, and kidnap as it did.

What Is peace Anyway?

Written By: - Date published: 7:29 am, November 16th, 2023 - 12 comments

We are further away from peace in parts of the world than a decade ago. But pessimism about peace isn’t a foregone conclusion.

Australia just made a high impact treaty with a Pacific Island state that puts a question on New Zealand about climate change

Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, November 11th, 2023 - 9 comments

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano have announced a deal whereby Australia is offering permanent residency to Tuvaluans affected by climate change, and a security guarantee that will bind both countries close together.

The Injustice of Blackball

Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, November 2nd, 2023 - 14 comments

There is no “just transition” occurring on New Zealand’s west coast and there should be. 

Politics By The Armful

Written By: - Date published: 11:07 am, October 17th, 2023 - 9 comments

I’m going to show you what a large scale effective political act in a second hand store looked like recently.

Israel and Saudi Arabia

Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, October 10th, 2023 - 28 comments

I don’t want to talk about Saudi Arabia but it’s time.

Skyfall comes to Wellington

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, October 1st, 2023 - 5 comments

Skyfall was 10 years ago but it has a message for all public servants local or central as you choose your vote.

The Greens In Real Government in October 2023

Written By: - Date published: 10:21 am, September 11th, 2023 - 21 comments

What happens if the Green Party gets 10% of the vote and the top 9 get in. And say they get to form a government. What would Greens in Cabinet look like?

An ACT New Zealand

Written By: - Date published: 1:29 pm, September 8th, 2023 - 38 comments

What will New Zealand look like if Act forms part of the next Government?

This Election we need to talk About China

Written By: - Date published: 11:05 am, September 4th, 2023 - 70 comments

Yes we could do the next five weeks on teeth and taxes, but actually China is pulling us down and our political parties need to make it an election issue.

CHL’s Tarras Airport Idea is Unbelievably Stupid

Written By: - Date published: 2:48 pm, September 1st, 2023 - 21 comments

Queenstown Airport has over three decades generated a radial wealth local effect. The economic and social uplift has been massive. That doesn’t mean there will be similar economic benefits by building another one within just over an hours’ drive of the first one.

New Zealand’s Greatest Economic Threat is Fonterra

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, August 29th, 2023 - 35 comments

Fonterra represents New Zealand’s largest internal economic threat. And promise.

Why New Zealand First Will Get Back In

Written By: - Date published: 10:32 am, August 17th, 2023 - 70 comments

Winston’s term with Ardern shows what high-delivery, low-foolishness government looked like. That’s why he’s rising again.

Barbie Will Save The World

Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, August 11th, 2023 - 11 comments

Ad believes the Barbie Movie will be a mobilising element in regaining Democrat balance in Congress (maybe not the Senate) and the White House.

We Need to Talk About Blackrock

Written By: - Date published: 9:08 am, August 9th, 2023 - 29 comments

How come New Zealand got to build an entire electricity generating system that lasted for 70 years without much private capital from one massive dam to geothermal and all those pylons and substations and network systems without Blackrock?

National is no nation builder

Written By: - Date published: 8:29 am, August 8th, 2023 - 16 comments

Nation building projects always take multiple terms, and the risk of Labour losing puts at risk some of the largest and most important we’ve seen in generations.

Donald Trump indicted for trying to overthrow the US government 

Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, August 3rd, 2023 - 30 comments

The question the citizens of the United States will have to ask shortly is not merely how on earth a person like this is a viable candidate for president. The question is really: how could the United States enable a sitting President to carry out this scale of crime?

Should We Worry About Green and Maori Party Taxes?

Written By: - Date published: 7:47 am, July 30th, 2023 - 163 comments

We are the 99%

We need to recognise our risk to the capital flight risk of the 1%, but also recognise the benefit to the 99% of us.