If a picture contains a thousand words, this column is going to run well over our normal word limit. But the charts do say a lot, so we’ll let the charts do most of the talking. Read more
Yesterday, 6 June, was the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied landings in Normandy. This day marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazism. Read more
Last weekend, deeply disturbing allegations emerged that the privacy of New Zealanders’ census data was grossly violated in the lead-up to the 2023 general election. Media reports include allegations that confidential personal information collected during the 2023 census on behalf of Statistics New Zealand was illicitly copied for private benefit. Read more
The nation is in shock following reports that former President of the USA, Donald Trump, is eyeing up New Zealand as a retirement option. With the two-term limit on the American presidency due to kick in if he wins the coming election, the former host of NBC’s ‘The Apprentice’ is considering a quiet exit from politics as New Zealand’s premier. Read more
It is not every day that a disagreement between a think tank and a central bank makes international headlines. But that is precisely what happened last week. Read more
New Zealand could use some easy wins. A miasma of slow stagnation appears to be settling over the country. Read more
New Zealand is heavily centralised. This stifles local initiative and contributes to sluggish productivity and anaemic economic growth. Read more
And so, the state advances. Thirteen steps forward, four steps back, then onward again. Read more
After criticism of his decision to postpone its free speech event after a student protested the involvement of ‘big meanies,’ Elizabeth University of HAMILTON Vice-Chancellor Jac Jones proved the nay-sayers wrong, showcasing diversity with an event at which 80% of the speakers took exactly the same view. ‘My critics didn’t think I had the cojones – sorry, the courage (I really do apologise),’ Jones said. Read more
It would be ludicrous to describe Grant Robertson’s 2019 Wellbeing Budget as austere. Core government spending rose from around $27.50 of every $100 in economic activity to about $29 – a substantial increase. Read more
When I was a university student, I noticed my car was not accelerating as smoothly as it once had. At first, I brushed it off, thinking it might just be my imagination. Read more
As the European Parliament elections loom next month, a political earthquake is reshaping the landscape of the continent’s far-right. In a stunning move, Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National (RN) party has abruptly severed ties with its long-time German ally, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Read more
White sand beaches. Palm trees waving in a gentle breeze. Read more
The Independent Review of Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities lays bare New Zealand’s housing mess. Decent housing is fundamental to wellbeing. Read more
In a shocking turn of events that has rocked the nation to its core, it has been revealed that Simon Bridges, the former minister and newly appointed chairman of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), received a speeding ticket in 2018. This earth-shattering news has sent shockwaves through the country, leaving citizens wondering whether the very fabric of our society is falling apart. Read more