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Winners Picked and Losers Packed

Winners Picked and Losers Packed

Chris Penk The BFD is serialising National MP Chris Penk’s book Flattening the Country by publishing an extract every day. Winners picked and losers packed The economic response to the COVID-19 threat was a mixed bag from the start.  In mid-March, the Minister of Finance announced support for business

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Daily News Roundup – 19 June 2020

Daily News Roundup – 19 June 2020

Border failure Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Heads have to roll over border catastrophe, but whose head should it be? Michael Morrah (Newshub): Blame for COVID-19 quarantine, PPE fails lies squarely with Ministry of Health Jane Patterson (RNZ): Covid-19 border botch-up: ‘Next few days will be crucial’ Jane Clifton (BusinessDesk): Good old-fashioned

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How Bad Can It Possibly Be?

How Bad Can It Possibly Be?

Chris Penk The BFD is serialising National MP Chris Penk’s book Flattening the Country by publishing an extract every day. How bad can it possibly be? Having indulged in that favourite New Zealand pastime of measuring ourselves against other countries, it’s worth making another comparison, namely time. The

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Daily News Roundup – 18 June 2020

Daily News Roundup – 18 June 2020

Border failure ODT Editorial: Defence must be tightened RNZ: Checkpoint: Covid-19: Isolation audit not enough to ensure safety – expert Shaun Hendy et al (The Conversation): 2 new COVID-19 cases in New Zealand, but elimination of community transmission still stands Heather Du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Ministry of Health can’t follow

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Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!

Chris Penk The BFD is serialising National MP Chris Penk’s book Flattening the Country by publishing an extract every day. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! In my experience (and I did live there for a few years), our Australian brethren are commendably direct.  Indeed directness is sometimes one of their most

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Leader of the Opposition’s Te Puna Speech
NZ

Leader of the Opposition’s Te Puna Speech

Tena koutou katoa te whanau o Te Pirirakau. Tenei te mihi ki a koutou I tenei waa. Tino koa ahau ki te tu kei waenga nui I a koutou, No reira, Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena ra koutou katoa. It is great to be home in Te Puna, among my

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NZ Race Relations Roundup

NZ Race Relations Roundup

Wednesday 17 June 2020 News: Complaints about Maori exhibit not addressed for four years stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/300035413/complaints-about-mori-exhibit-not-addressed-for-four-years ‘They represent racism’ – MP Willie Jackson says conversation needed over statues tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/they-represent-racism-mp-willie-jackson-says-conversation-needed-over-statues Minister won’t bow to treaty group refusing to hold elections stuff.

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Daily News Roundup – 17 June 2020

Daily News Roundup – 17 June 2020

Health and Disability System Review, hospital stocktake Henry Cooke (Stuff): Health system overhaul would be a gigantic fight. Is the Government up for it? Ben Heather (Stuff): Why we should be sceptical about big health reform Richard Harman (Politik): Simpson splits up Bloomfield’s Ministry Cate Broughton (Stuff): One DHB

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Perspectives

Perspectives

Chris Penk The BFD is serialising National MP Chris Penk’s book Flattening the Country by publishing an extract every day. Perspectives I am a National Party MP.  As such, I’m a member of Her Majesty’s loyal opposition, at least for a few more months. Some have been

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New Normal, Same Old Problems

New Normal, Same Old Problems

Rachel Poulain Spokesperson Free Speech Coalition The last few weeks have demonstrated that 2020 has no intention of slowing down. It has been just over two weeks since the death of George Floyd and already the tidal-wave of reactions seem to have washed away any thought COVID-19. For all the

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Daily News Roundup – 16 June 2020

Daily News Roundup – 16 June 2020

Labour Party list Henry Cooke (Stuff): Jacinda Ardern rebrands the post-coronavirus Labour Party with her first real party list Jamie Ensor and Lydia Lewis (Newshub): Dr Ayesha Verrall’s experience could prove ‘helpful’ to Labour post-COVID-19 – commentator Hannah Kronast (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern defends Labour’s list diversity Thomas

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National MP Paul Goldsmith

Podcast: Paul Goldsmith

The Taxpayer’s Union is giving taxpayers the opportunity to get to know their MPs beyond photo-ops and party-line speeches. In this episode, Islay Aitchison interviews National MP Paul Goldmith.

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Flattening the Country

Flattening the Country

Chris Penk The BFD is serialising National MP Chris Penk’s book by publishing an extract every day. Flattening the country It was only supposed to be the curve that got flattened, not the whole country. This is the real story of Labour’s lockdown: how poor preparation then panic

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Daily News Roundup – 15 June 2020

Daily News Roundup – 15 June 2020

Colonial statues, place names, Black Lives Matter Cherie Howie (Herald): Race relations commissioner Meng Foon calls for dialogue on colonisation-linked statues, place names Jason Walls (Herald): NZ First Leader Winston Peters: Getting rid of historical statues ‘idiocy’ 1News: Winston Peters outraged over ‘idiocy’ of ‘wokeism’ amid statue removal Mark Quinlivan

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Face of the Day
NZ

Face of the Day

The Taxpayers’ Union sat down with Todd Muller for a podcast interview just a few days before he announced his leadership bid. He described himself as “broadly socially conservative, and from an economic perspective reasonably liberal”, and discussed his upbringing, career, and the political challenges of bridging the urban-rural divide.

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Podcast: Melissa Lee National MP
NZ

Podcast: Melissa Lee National MP

The Taxpayer’s Union is giving taxpayers the opportunity to get to know their MPs beyond photo-ops and party-line speeches. In this episode, Islay Aitchison interviews Melissa Lee MP.

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