As I posted recently, much of China’s recent belligerence is the result of the innate paranoia of communist regimes combined with the Middle Kingdom’s vanity and insularity. A “toxic mix of hubris, overreach, impetuosity and emerging panic” is gripping the Xi regime, observes commentator John Lee. Beijing realises
Prof Worzel It was a tactic used during the last days of the Roman Empire. The ruling powers provided free ‘bread and circuses’ to the people to distract them from the harsh reality that resources both moral and physical were running perilously low. Rome’s once renowned military might was
It’s no secret that the international legacy media just adore Jacinda Ardern. And why wouldn’t they? A young, female socialist – Ardern ticks nearly every intersectional box. Except ethnicity, perhaps, but she does try to make up for that by playing dress-ups in ethnic costume with all the enthusiasm
Sir Stephen Tindall signed a letter to governments, asking them to tax millionaires more. His timing in signing that letter could not have been worse. Now everyone that knows about it will call him out for the hypocrite that he is, asking to be taxed more while workers in his
We face an economic disaster, the likes of which most have never experienced in their lifetime. The financial blowout is the result of Jacinda Ardern’s decision to lock down healthy people and businesses, as well as the policies of her socialist Labour Government’s out-of-control spending and borrowing. The
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com/election-choices Sixty-seven days out from the 2020 election, the National Party selected a new leader. The resignation of Todd Muller after only 53 days in the top job was a surprise. Judith Collins is National’s new leader, with the capable Gerry Brownlee her Deputy:
Wow. Three days into the job and opposition leader Judith Collins has announced the biggest infrastructure spend in history, with $31 billion to be spent on infrastructure projects over the next decade. Stuff reports: National Party leader Judith Collins has announced plans for what she calls “the biggest infrastructure package”
National’s transport infrastructure package is just the first part of the Delivering Infrastructure theme of its Plan to Get New Zealand Working. Today initial announcements focus on the Upper North Island with announcements planned for across the rest of the country. What projects are part of National’s Upper
I feel very sad for Todd Muller. Clearly he was not up to the job of leader of the opposition, but clearly he is also a very decent person. Judith has been gracious and considerate in giving him a front bench position and the trade portfolio. She has also done
Reputations are made or lost in the court of public opinion, and until now Collins was at the mercy of knives wielded by the members of her own party, but this changed overnight when she was appointed leader. Collins now calls the shots and she has made her aspirations clear:
As I so often tell BFD readers, Australian politics often seem to serve as a warning to New Zealand. We had Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard; ten years down the track, you get Jacinda Ardern. Our “conservative” Coalition turns teal-blue and tears itself apart with infighting, you lot get National.
Don’t you just love it when mega-rich people start demanding higher taxes? They just can’t help themselves. They have to rub everyone’s noses in the fact that they are so wealthy that they really REALLY should be taxed more because they can afford it. Ignoring the vagaries
The glibness of Ministers Woods and Robertson’s announcements following news of the closure of Tiwai Point aluminium smelter show the pair up to be not only chinless but gutless too. The whole ‘air of inevitability’ throwaway to the destruction of the far-South economy and Meridian Energy profits belies the
Dr David Law nzinitiative.org.nz The Green Party’s “Poverty Action Plan” is all about tackling poverty, although the outcomes may differ from what the party expects. While it is meant to help struggling Kiwis, the plan will instead provoke emigration, disincentivise work and saving and stifle investment in
As Michelle Boag cancelled her National Party membership, she carried out one final act of spite for the party that has feathered her nest for so long; she implicated Michael Woodhouse in the appalling saga over the leaked COVID patient information. She did not need to do this, as she
