As I’ve repeatedly warned BFD readers, always assume that a so-called “fact-checker” is trying to mislead you. But, if it’s bad enough that professional, often taxpayer-funded, liars in cahoots with the mainstream media are bullshitting you, it’s far worse when a statutory body is
Sir Bob Jones nopunchespulled.com Nearly two years ago, in July 2021 when the Labour government was riding high in the polls and the nation had lost its head and was acclaiming Jacinda as the second coming, I wrote on this site the article reproduced below. Understandably it was treated
Disgruntled of Eskdale Like the aptly named Red Queen of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ fame, who could believe “as many as six impossible things before breakfast’, it seems the socialist politicians and economists of New Zealand can also believe at least two impossibly opposite ideas at the same time. The current
Bryce Edwards I am Political Analyst in Residence at Victoria University of Wellington, where I run the Democracy Project, and am a full-time researcher in the School of Government democracyproject.substack.com Pay cuts, wage restraint, and redundancies are currently being forced on everyone in the government sector. Except
Chris Trotter democracyproject.substack.com JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace Relations & Safety, Brooke van Velden, once boasted the only economics degree in New Zealand’s Parliament. Since the general election, however, this select fellowship of the
As predicted the media are blaming everyone else for the massive drop in trust. Dita de Boni, who works for NBR, thinks it is a shadowy right-wing think tank destroying trust, and the NZ Herald is blaming AI and misinformation: The media landscape has changed rapidly in the past
Bryce Edwards Political Analyst in Residence, Director of the Democracy Project, School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington democracyproject.nz Did vested interests prevent New Zealand from establishing a world-leading environmental marine reserve? There are strong signs that in killing off the proposal for a
Guy C. Charlton Associate Professor, University of New England Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s recent unsuccessful demand to have the central government repay the GST levied on property rates is the latest salvo in the battle over funding for local government in New Zealand. It points to the topsy-turvy
Chris Lynch Chris Lynch is a journalist, videographer and content producer, broadcasting from his independent news and production company in Christchurch, New Zealand. chrislynchmedia.com City leaders have expressed disappointment over the Christchurch Cathedral’s dire financial troubles. The rebuild needs another $114 million and $30 million by August, otherwise
bobmccoskrie.com The mainstream media, left wing politicians and commentators say that the opposition to sexualised drag queens reading to children in libraries ( but not to elderly people in rest homes, interestingly) is just “imported American culture wars from the far right”. Nothing could be further from the truth. Even
Mark Freeman New Zealanders are being urged to buy shares in the company that owns the now-decommissioned Marsden Point Oil Refinery as part of a strategy to reopen the refinery. The refinery used to supply 65–70% of New Zealand’s refined fuel, but its owners, Refining New Zealand—
Graham Adams Graham Adams is a freelance editor, journalist and columnist. He lives on Auckland’s North Shore. Former Attorney-General and Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Chris Finlayson is known for his forthright and sometimes combative language. In 2022, in discussing opposition to co-governance, he referred to
The latest media trust survey is out and there are no surprises in the results. What is surprising though, is the hand-wringing in media circles about the lack of trust in media, and how it is everyone else’s fault but theirs. The AUT research centre for Journalism, Media
Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty and Smoking In a pioneering study by the Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty & Smoking, researchers have unveiled nuanced public perceptions of New Zealand’s innovative tobacco ‘endgame’ policies. The study provides a critical examination of how New Zealand adults who smoke, particularly
The Easter holiday weekend was most enjoyable. We have been pottering about the South Island visiting some places we haven’t been for a while. Due to my not wanting to spend money if I don’t have to, or as little as possible, our accommodation has been backpacker hostels
