Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com In the 1980s, many New Zealanders stood proudly against apartheid – the South African system of government which enabled a race-based minority to impose its rule over the majority of the population. It is therefore ironic that many of these same people now support a
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” That of course was infamously said by Joseph Goebbels, the Minister of Propaganda in Hitler’s Third Reich. He understood the power of indoctrination – that convincing the
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com It seems a Government with absolute power is not averse to breaking election pledges. Before the election, Labour was clear – they would not introduce a capital gains tax, nor a wealth tax. The only change in income tax would be an increase to the top
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com Last week Radio NZ reported that schools around the country are paying tens of thousands of dollars to private consultants to help them improve the way they teach reading. They are introducing the so-called “structured literacy” approach, more commonly known as “phonics”. While backed
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com On election night, Jacinda Ardern said, “To those amongst you who may not have supported Labour before… I say thank you. We will not take your support for granted. And I can promise you, we will be a party that governs for every New Zealander.
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com Last year Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was the guest speaker at a private gathering in New York hosted by Bill and Melinda Gates. She told the audience that under her administration New Zealand had taken a lead and embedded the United Nations Agenda 2030 into
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.co The decision by Jacinda Ardern and Labour to negotiate a deal with the Green Party will be a disappointment to those centre-right voters who voted strategically for Labour to keep the Greens out of Government. As we wrote before the election, “Even if Labour
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com For the first time since MMP was introduced in 1996, New Zealand voters have given a single political party the absolute power to govern alone. Whether Labour decides to exercise that authority or share their mandate with the Greens, remains to be seen. Whatever arrangement
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com According to one election night commentator, Saturday’s landslide result was a remarkable victory for a party that “couldn’t make anything fly, not even a kite”. Favoured by the media and seen by many voters as the leader who had literally saved them from
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com On Saturday night we should know who will form the next government. There is unlikely to be a ‘kingmaker’ party this time around to hold the country to ransom. The polls are indicating the government is more likely to be Labour and the Greens, and
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com This week’s latest Colmar Brunton poll has Labour on 47 per cent, National on 33 per cent, New Zealand First on 1 per cent, the Greens on 7 per cent, and ACT on 8 per cent. If this translates into election votes, New Zealand
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com The Maori Party has rejuvenated itself since its election defeat in 2017 by becoming more radical. With little chance of winning a place in Parliament, it is releasing extremist policies to try to get noticed. In so doing, it is revealing the divisive separatist agenda
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com Last Sunday, the Governor-General issued the writ, which is the formal instruction to the Electoral Commission to hold the general election on Saturday 17 October 2020. Under the Electoral Act, the writ must be issued within seven days of the dissolution of Parliament, and
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com Election campaigning is now in full swing with new policies being announced daily. Since COVID-19 is such a key concern for voters, we can expect political parties to firm up their positions on how to manage the pandemic over the coming weeks. The range
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com Public sentiment is full of ‘tipping points’ – critical moments when small influences trigger more significant developments. We’ve seen a number of political tipping points over recent years that have contributed to the changing fortunes of parties and elections. The performance of United Future’s
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com In New Zealand last year, Maori babies under 3 months old were five times more likely than others to be placed into state care. And, of the 6,429 children in state custody, 69 per cent were Maori. Some Maori luminaries claim this shocking state
