I am going to start with a premise, one most of us here I think can agree upon. The premise is this: the centre-right will win next year’s election because Labour will lose it. I use the premise not just as something we can hopefully agree upon but
One of the advantages of living on the outskirts of a metropolis is one is kept abreast of rural matters through various publications dropped in the letterbox. One that comes through my box is the Farmers Weekly which provides a very informative read on topics concerning the land. One headline
Almost all the media appear to be (perhaps under government financial guidance) still obsessed with something called Covid. Meanwhile, almost all of the population have moved on and are worrying about more immediate and pressing problems like inflation and the cost of living. The media are avoiding these topics as
Information Opinion Let’s start by defining the word democracy. the belief and freedom of equality between people, or a system of government based on this belief, in which power is either held by elected representatives or directly by the people themselves. The Cambridge Dictionary How do you think that
Over the weekend the newspapers provided some interesting reading, as did articles coming into my Inbox from overseas. Both sources, domestic and international showed there is a strong wind starting to blow. It is picking up speed and the possibility of a cyclone cannot be discounted. This wind is blowing
The Tauranga by-election was really about whether National’s majority reflected a return to near normality or could Labour prove its 2020 result was more than just a Covid one. The result reflected the former, as a 4% gap in 2020 was turned into a 42% gap last weekend.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in this week’s rearranging of the deck chairs was the demise of Trevor Mallard. Who would have thought Ardern had her political gun aimed at her Lord Protector, the Speaker of the House? As someone not known as a straight shooter, Ardern had no option
In the Weekend Herald there was extensive coverage relating to revitalising the CBD, particularly Queen Street. I should say I rarely venture into Queen Street for two reasons: I have no need to and, perhaps more importantly, I have no desire to. This is a far cry from when I
The idiom “foxes in the henhouse” goes back at least as far as the 1580s. It describes a set of circumstances in which someone who should not be trusted has been chosen to protect someone or oversee a situation. The choice involves someone directly unsuitable for the task, such as
The headline of this article was supposed to refer to both the council-controlled organisation and the service itself. While researching for relevant information I came across a RNZ interview Lisa Owen conducted this week with Auckland Transport Acting Group Manager Metro Services, Darek Koper. Based on his interview, if
Information Opinion It has been interesting, though not surprising to hear the amount of blarney emanating from between Jacinda Ardern’s pearly whites in America. The Prime Minister of New Zealand constantly, at home and abroad, tries to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Her ministers
The Weekend Herald deserves congratulations for their investigative journalism on the subject of mental health. What is being unearthed shows just what a parlous state our health system is in overall. Covid over the last couple of years has exacerbated an already dire situation. That, however, should not be used
If anyone of prominence dares to criticise Maori, up pops Jack in the box, Willie Jackson. David Seymour, also of Maori Heritage, has just done so and Willie is highly incensed. He has labelled Seymour a “useless Maori”. While recognising that Seymour does have Maori whakapapa Jackson said he was
It is a habit of mine on a Saturday morning to pick up the Weekend Herald from the local Superette. The owner is always very friendly and after a few minutes of amiable conversation I return home in fairly good humour. Sitting down with a cup of freshly brewed Yorkshire
A few weeks ago I wrote The Best of a Bad Bunch and the overripe banana pic is still relevant when talking about Christopher Luxon. He was very green when he became National Party leader, but I think he is ripening nicely. I am aware that not everyone shares this
Warning Long read: 1,394 words Jacinda Ardern recently implied that in her MPs she has talent to burn, including herself no doubt. This was in relation to Louisa Wall’s resignation as an MP. She said, on One News Breakfast, “there were many other talented MPs who had not
