Urgency and the Vested Interests
A continued campaign of handwringing complaints from academics and constitution reformers about the misuse of parliamentary procedure will not simply shame the politicians into better behaviour.
NZ Politics
News Briefing: 13 May 2025
Republished with Permission Author: Bryce Edwards PAY EQUITY Chris Trotter (Interest): Low pay isn’t a fixable bug in our free market system, it’s one of its indispensable features Edward Miller: Detonating pay equity leaves workers footing the bill RNZ: 'Nothing further from the truth' - pay equity
Andrea Vance’s Hypocritical Tirade: Smearing Women to Score Points
Vance’s article isn’t about defending women – it’s about settling scores. She’s not advocating for pay equity: she’s weaponising it to bash a government she loathes. Her c-word tirade isn’t feminist empowerment: it’s a tantrum from a journo who’s long forgotten what objectivity looks like.
New Legislation to Crack Down on Deepfakes in New Zealand
The proposed legislation represents a proactive effort to ensure New Zealand’s legal framework keeps pace with emerging threats in the digital age.
Evidence Points to Willis Forcing Out Orr
Nothing our finance minister says about economics makes sense to me. It only can be understood in terms of back-room deals responding to lobbying from Big Business.
Government Doesn’t Want to Define Woman
That the minister’s response is clumsy and directionless means there is even more need for the member’s bill by New Zealand First MP Jenny Marcroft.
The Occupation of This Historic Land Begins
The occupation began on Monday, following a protest march through the streets, and is set to continue for ‘as long as it takes’.
Make Your Local Elections Meaningful
Mayors and councillors are required to deliver quality services. But, money wasted on surplus personnel is money not available for additional roads or footpaths, park maintenance, or new books for the library.
News Briefing: 12 May 2025
Republished with Permission Author: Bryce Edwards PAY EQUITY, GOVERNMENT USE OF URGENCY Andrea Vance (Sunday Star Times): The girl-math budget that will cut deep, especially for women (paywalled) Thomas Coughlan (Herald): An ugly week for National MPs (paywalled) Vernon Small (Sunday Star Times): National will pay a steep price
ACT Stands Firm Against Flawed Firearms Registry as National Clings to Police Narrative
The registry doesn’t make New Zealanders safer – it just punishes the compliant while criminals laugh. National’s refusal to back a proper review, coupled with Mitchell’s blind faith in a discredited police narrative, betrays a coalition more interested in optics than outcomes.
The Waitangi Tribunal’s Day of Reckoning: Time to Clip Its Wings
The Waitangi Tribunal’s had a good run but it’s time to pull the plug. It’s not a court, it’s not elected and it’s not above the law. The review must be bold – recommend winding it down and redirecting its resources to something useful, like infrastructure or healthcare.
Why Erica Stanford’s Gmail Use Matters
It’s time to close the accountability holes, strengthen our integrity rules, and reaffirm that in New Zealand, open government is the only way government operates.
The Rose Tinted Glasses of the Left
Those of us on the right might complain about the current administration, but who would risk the appalling and frightening alternative that exists on the left?
The New Zealand Royal Commission for Covid-19
We still see people wearing masks in supermarkets and often on the streets. Just a subtle reminder of how, for some, life will never be the same again