Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the Leask of...
After a long, long gestation - caused in large part by the State Services Commission's (hugely ironic, as we will see) demand for various rights of reply - the Office of the Ombudsman has finally...
View ArticleSaudi Sheep deal: New facts, new questions.
It is one of the most puzzling... and troubling... sagas in New Zealand's recent political history. And that's saying something. The Saudi sheep deal's always felt like the sword of Damocles hanging...
View ArticleThe only thing stopping you is yourself
On today's RNZ's Morning Report, John Key poured cold water over Wintson Peters' confident assertion that NZ would have an election early in 2017 because the National Government was struggling to hold...
View ArticleShut up, Stuart Nash (with added thoughts on the Nikolas Delegat case)
On occasion, I've had cause to issue some stern words to Police Minister Judith Collins about her apparent meddling in Police issues that are none of her business.read more
View ArticlePost TPP confusion - or, will Ms Miller come to Wellington?
Donald Trump's election as President of the USA was interpreted widely as the death knell for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). That, anyway, was John Key's immediate response following the result....
View ArticleAngries and Mangries
Unfortunately most analysis on the American elections focuses on who voted but, as Bob Chapman pointed out, the Non-Vote Party plays an important role. This is yet another example of Gilling’s law of...
View ArticleThe call of the centre
John Key's resignation is an immense shock in a year of immense shocks, but it also lays down a gauntlet to those who would be in government next year.read more
View Article2016 in politics: A spinoff from The spinoff
Champs: Who would you rank as the best performing individuals in politics for 2016?1. John Key, for perfectly executing the coup against himself, and Bill English, the little engine who finally did.2....
View ArticleMasterstroke, manoeuvre or muddle: Bill English's super punt
The interesting thing about Bill English's out of the blue superannuation announcement is not the substance of the policy -- it seems mild enough -- but why he made it six months before an election....
View ArticleIs the basic income "barking" or an idea whose time has come?
"Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons" Woody Allen.Many years ago, I took part in a public forum where the keynote speaker advanced the radical idea that a Basic Income (BI) be...
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