Get Rid of the Māori Seats
Democracy is one thing. Using it for vile purposes is quite another.
Culture
The Coming Populist Revolt in Australia
Gary Johns Gary Johns is Chairman of Close the Gap Research Populism occurs when the masses revolt against the elites’ view of the world. Elite opinion does not often deal directly with popular opinion, that is, with the people who have to pay for elite opinion. When elites get it
This Is Not Us
Parlermaid The Settlement Centre Waikato (SCW) in Hamilton, New Zealand, is a place of unity and one which welcomes all people, regardless of their religious or political beliefs, ethnicity or country of origin. A key feature of the newly redeveloped SCW are the ethnic panels that externally wrap the building
They’re Old and They Want It All
My readers know me only too well. As an astute BFD reader commented on my recent piece about the generationally divided, two-speed economy: I just said to my wife yesterday that it was about time for Lushy’s annual boomer baiting. Annual? I can and must do better than that.
Going on Gut Reactions
Chris Trotter Democracy Project As angry Trump supporters filed out of the Butler showgrounds, many paused to hurl abuse at the media pack. As they vented their anger upon the assembled “mainstream” journalists, I couldn’t help recalling the behaviour of an even angrier crowd as it filed out of
What Seinfeld Learned While Reading Marcus Aurelius
Jon Miltimore Jonathan Miltimore is the Senior Creative Strategist of FEE.org at the Foundation for Economic Education. Emperor of Rome from 161–180 AD, Marcus Aurelius is remembered as the “Philosopher King,” largely because of his classic work Meditations, a cornerstone of Stoic philosophy that delves into such themes
A Nation Reinvented: 40 Years On
Richard Shaw, Massey University It’s easy to look back at the bad haircuts, beige clothes and brown Beehive carpets and chuckle. But whatever one’s views on its aesthetics, the Fourth Labour Government – elected 40 years ago on July 14 – was no laughing matter. After nine years of economic
When Family Connections Are Closer than You’d Like
The widespread adoption of DNA testing from genealogy websites has had some intriguing outcomes. Law enforcement have used family trees to trace down suspects in cold cases, most famously the Golden State Killer. On a more personal level, DNA tests have rattled skeletons in family closets, unearthing unexpected siblings, secret
Are Lower Birth Rates Bringing the West to the Brink?
David Thunder David Thunder is a researcher and lecturer of political philosophy at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. We are living at a time when a large segment of the world – particularly societies in Europe, North America and Asia – no longer views having children as something desirable or
Face of the Day
The list of things the tennis world has yet to learn about Lulu Sun is long. The journey of the 123rd-ranked Sun, who is competing in just her second main draw of a Grand Slam, from the qualifying tournament to a quarterfinal berth at Wimbledon – where the women’s tournament
Recent Experiences with NZ Banks Not Good
Alwyn Poole Founded and was the head of Mt Hobson Middle School in Auckland for 18 years. MH Academy is now an in person private school for Years 11–13. There is now a nationwide online provision called Mt Hobson Academy Connected for Years 1–13. Back in the day
The Vulnerable Are Still Being Required to Take the Jab
It is appalling in 2024 that people who are at a particularly high risk of dying or becoming seriously unwell are told they must have the Covid-19 gene therapy jab. This comes as cardiologists, specialists and doctors around the world are asking for this vaccine to be urgently pulled off
100% Pure Can’t Do Attitude
As an astute reader noted, I recently referred to New Zealand as Australia’s “Very Special sibling”. I should mock, though: I live in Tasmania. Tassie and NZ have a lot in common: we’re small, remote and like to sell ourselves on our natural beauty. But we’re also
Are We Weak, or Just Our Leaders?
I recently pondered if the dire state of Western civilisation was all our own fault: are we the ‘weak men’ who make hard times? Making the West strong again requires hard decisions and hard work with much risk and not much prospect of immediate reward. Collectively, though, we’re all
Paddy Throws One on Matters of Race
Joseph Los’e, the Herald’s Kaupapa Maori editor, had an article in Monday’s Herald featuring Paddy Gower and his thoughts on matters of race. Evidently the problems concerning race are, by and large, caused by old white men. There are a number of points Gower made that I,