NZ Politics
This U16 Ban Is a Bad Idea
A response to National’s announcement of legislation to ban u16 social media.
Quick Hit: To Know Who Is 16, You Need to Know Who Everyone Is
To keep a 15-year-old off Instagram, a platform has to know a 45-year-old is not 15.
The Government Is Not Banning Under-16s. National Is.
Winston named it. ACT walked. Chippy just became Luxon’s extra vote.
Red Flag: NZ Mortality up in 2026
Without a detailed investigation of the causes of the higher levels of sickness among the general population broken down by age, vaccination status, and disease type, it is not possible for Health NZ to understand and respond appropriately to the current health crisis.
Soviet Style at Your Checkout
This is nothing more than a cynical, shameless vote-grab, cruelly preying on the genuine anxiety of families struggling to put food on the table. It promises cheap groceries, but delivers nothing but empty promises, empty shelves and economic fairy tales.
I Am Explaining My Vote
The current government, on balance, deserves to be re-elected and they are certainly better than the alternative currently on offer.
Protect Kids Without an Internet Surveillance Regime
PILLAR opposes government social media ban.
ACT Is in Tune With the Right
This is essentially what those on the right have been asking for: a clean-up of judicial activism and a better application of Treaty references and their interpretation by the judiciary.
Some Reflections From the ED
A recent trip to the emergency department, and a longer stay in hospital, had me thinking about the current debate around cultural competency and indigenous knowledge.
Quick Hit: 59, 55 and Six Seats for Wong
Opportunity on 5.3 and six seats. Right 59, left 55. Neither governs without Wong.
Chippy Got National’s Pain. He Still Went Backwards.
Labour got National’s sub-30 gift and still went backwards. Opportunity is the maths problem both majors made.
From Joke to Official Policy in Four Years
New Zealand has a conservative government. The guidelines still appeared under its watch. That should give every citizen pause. The capture of language is not limited to one political tribe. It has become institutional habit.