Stephen Berry is compiling this guide on the Auckland Local Body elections as an independent commentator. His recommendations are based on his own research and are not on behalf of any organisation. P
There is nothing in this puritanical list of new restrictions that will deter people from continuing to smoke tobacco or switch to illegal vapes. It will send them away from legal retailers that comply with tobacco laws to illegal, gang-controlled retailers.
I strongly suspect that the problem of giving a child lunch each day is less about financial poverty than it is about a poverty of sensible choices.
If you view the election as an opportunity for a change of direction, you’ll be incredibly disappointed, because both major parties are committed to continuing the big tax, spend and borrow policies that they’ve always done.
Forget civil debate, forget exchanging ideas: we don’t like you therefore we are going to roar like animals and swing our fists about.
New Zealanders need to feel increased prosperity through significant economic growth long before the 2026 general election or Luxon risks becoming National’s only one-term prime minister.
The Trump administration is embarking on a platform of reform that has barely been seen in any Western democracy since the 1980s.
The biggest question mark for the 2026 election isn’t whether National wins a second term: the question is whether New Zealand First is needed to achieve a majority.
The quasi-libertarian ACT Party, out of all proportion to their numbers in government, are focused on genuinely reformative proposals that will significantly change the way future governments operate.
For true political tragics like myself, election night will provide some excitement purely from the delight of watching data trickle in. However, the preceding few months promise to be an extraordinary bore.
If you have the gall to claim you are oppressed by freedom… maybe it’s your fault.
They will fail to do what they were elected to do: they will achieve few reforms and drag out the economic pain caused by the previous Labour Government.
Australia has very few free-speech protections and it doesn’t need the prime minister making knee-jerk attacks on what exists to look tough on the domestic stage.
Government action to protect people from scams and bank fees may sound noble but freedom in stable liberal democracies is not lost in one fell swoop.
If you’ve decided to let the state raise your children for you, then you deserve every piece of fascism you receive.
