OPINION

Last week, boxes of fudge arrived at New Zealand’s Parliament. Not as a festive treat, but as a political weapon. Read more

It tasted like a normal glass of milk. Maybe a little bit thinner than I would have expected for the 3 percent fat content advertised on the bottle. Read more

Every year around Christmas time, the government provides a sneak preview of the coming year's budget. At the same time, Treasury provides its take on the state of the books. Read more

For over three decades, the Resource Management Act has been a significant hindrance to New Zealand's economic growth. It promised sustainable management but delivered housing crises, infrastructure delays, stifled productivity and environmental decline. Read more

In many countries, an educational study claiming a radical improvement in mathematics learning would receive considerable media attention. But not, it seems, in New Zealand. Read more

A plan typically answers straightforward questions: what is needed, what should be done first, and why. This month, Ministers will receive the Infrastructure Commission’s 30-year National Infrastructure Plan. Read more

Let me state this clearly at the outset: I have never placed a bet on a greyhound. I have never owned a greyhound. Read more

Let us try a brief experiment. Here is a statement of American strategic priorities: “The United States cannot survive as a free and independent nation if a hostile power dominates any region of the world from which it could threaten the US. Read more

Science embraces uncertainty. Scientists formulate theories to explain natural phenomena based on the available evidence. Read more

Last year, Inland Revenue wrote off $694.5 million in company tax debt. Much will never be recovered because the companies that owed it no longer exist – at least not in their original form. Read more

Last week, Sir Bill English told RNZ that New Zealand has reached “amazing, almost bipartisan” agreement on housing. Coincidentally, we recorded Part 2 of our Competitive Urban Land Markets podcast around the same time with former Housing Minister Phil Twyford. Read more

When everything had gone wrong and Homer Simpson couldn’t afford Christmas presents for the family, he took a punt. He went to the dog track and bet on a promisingly named greyhound: Santa’s Little Helper. Read more

This week, Commissioner Richard Chambers announced new targets for trust and confidence in police. They will mean little if the organisation continues to treat deliberate dishonesty as a minor employment matter. Read more

Every year, Inland Revenue writes off hundreds of millions in tax debt – $694.5 million last year alone. The money vanishes through the same predictable loopholes, exploited by the same cast of characters: directors who accumulate GST and PAYE debts, then walk away scot-free by abandoning their companies. Read more