The holiday season always brings the requisite warnings about the summer road toll. Drive to the conditions, and the faster the speed, the bigger the mess. Read more
All too often, today’s flavour of the month is tomorrow’s failure. This truism appears to be playing out in education. Read more
Last Sunday, Wellington mayor Andy Foster joined a protest at a housing development at Shelly Bay. Wearing suit and tie, he pitched tents to support the occupation but then later told media he thought it was merely a “community gathering.” Regardless, Foster’s attendance at the protest was inescapably seen as going against his own council, which days earlier voted to support the $500 million project. Read more
These days, even the German army cannot afford to neglect its green credentials. Pity if that’s the only thing it is good at. Read more
Dear Mike, In a country where people often hold back opinions for fear of offending others, your breakfast show is a refreshing exception. I am a fan of your clarity and boldness (though, sadly, we still haven’t met). Read more
Air compressor tanks come with a maximum pressure rating. The things are built to handle pressure, but only so much. Read more
Analogies are fun, but good luck using them to change someone’s mind. I’ve heard plenty of conservatives in the US (and everywhere else) say the economy is like a household and the president is like a CEO. Read more
All around the country Kiwi students are in the thick of their long-awaited NCEA exams. Many of which will now have a new appreciation for the immense value of schooling – particularly after being locked out for several weeks this year. School is more than cheap day-care. Read more
The Government has declared a climate crisis, so there should be no room for bad emissions policies. But you could drive a bus through the Government’s current strategy and processes on climate. Read more
Just a few hours into the vote count of the US Presidential election, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša sent out a congratulatory tweet – but to the wrong president-elect. “It’s pretty clear that American people have elected @realDonaldTrump @Mike_Pence for #4moreyears,” Janša wrote. Read more
Last week, the Government announced a new $70 million fund which will pay companies to move heating processes from coal to cleaner alternatives. The Prime Minister said the fund, which is called Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry (GIDI), is a “win win” that will “create jobs while lowering emissions”. Read more
It sounds so easy: If waiting on a Covid-19 test, stay home. It’s probably just a cold, but the costs if it isn’t are high. Read more
James Shaw has wasted no time asserting his powers as Climate Change Minister. His comments at the Climate Change and Business Conference in Auckland last Wednesday signal the Government’s intent on emissions. Read more
Rumours of a merger between the Reserve Bank and the Property Council have been greatly exaggerated. The Bank will need no help to do whatever it takes to keep Auckland homeowners safe from any dip in property prices. Read more
In a year of bad news, the past few weeks were a welcome exception. Pfizer’s announcement of a potentially effective Covid-19 vaccine opens a path back to normal life. Read more