Libertarians, Empathy, and the Path to Real Reform
Changing the culture won’t happen overnight. As I’ve written before, real reform starts in conversations at work, at church and at the footy club – not in Canberra.
Politics
Everything about politics
The One App That Zuck Won’t Touch
An Australian startup aims to remove online abuse in real time. Meta refuses to touch it.
News Briefing: 16 May 2025
Republished with Permission Author: Bryce Edwards PARLIAMENT, PAY EQUITY, THE C-WORD Joel MacManus (Spinoff): Echo Chamber: A C-bomb explodes in parliament Cherie Howie (Herald): Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters blasts behaviour in Parliament as ‘degradation’ Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Inside ‘the House of Chaos’: Six days that saw Parliament go bizarre
Brooke van Velden’s C-Bomb Shakes Up Parliament While the Usual Suspects Clutch Their Pearls
The lesson here? If the legacy media wants to sling slurs and gendered insults, they’d better be ready for the blowback. And if they’re going to cry foul when someone like van Velden fights back, they might want to take a long, hard, look in the mirror.
Face of the Day
“I think Brooke van Velden felt the outrage that many women in the parliament felt this week when that word is used a term of abuse for women, no matter what side of politics you are on, we should say it is not ok” – Willis
Not ‘CSE’: It Is Child Rape
Can people really be duped by language? Of course. This has got to stop. As the old saying goes, let us call a spade a spade.
News Briefing: 15 May 2025
Republished with Permission Author: Bryce Edwards PAY EQUITY Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Lies, damned lies and political subterfuge Alexia Russell (RNZ): The Detail: Lack of debate fans pay equity fury Mandy Henk (Newsroom): I’m a librarian and you’re right Mr Luxon. But not for the reasons you think. Hayden
RNZ’s Hypocrisy on Lobbying: State-Funded Crusaders Get a Free Pass While Industry Gets the Boot
RNZ’s hit piece is less about uncovering truth and more about pushing a narrative. They’re happy to amplify state-funded lobbyists like HCA while vilifying industry players, all under the guise of public interest.
Do Donations Influence the Fast-Tracking?
By confronting these conflicts of interest head on and enacting reforms, we can ensure that government decisions are made on merit – and are seen to be made on merit – rather than under the shadow of money.
News Briefing: 14 May 2025
Republished with Permission Author: Bryce Edwards PAY EQUITY, BUDGET Laura Walters and Fox Meyer (Newsroom): Ministers set to take big pay rises, right after wiping 33 pay equity claims Jo Moir (RNZ): FamilyBoost policy: $14m of $62m spent on administration costs Dan Satherley (RNZ): Pay equity claims: What they are
Luxon’s Pay Equity Debacle: A Political Trainwreck of His Own Making
The pay equity debacle is a wake-up call. Luxon can either heed it or keep bumbling along until the voters decide they’ve had enough.
Face of the Day
The prime minister responded to an avalanche of questions on his way to caucus, where he attacked Labour for “resorting to lies and misinformation”.