This is edition 2025/107 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Welcome back. It's 2025 and 20 years since I started writing about politics and anything else that took my fancy. Thank to my VIP members for making this site what it is today. In July we will be having a 20th birthday celebration. Stay tuned for more announcements.
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. Does National Represent the Nation?
Chris Trotter
- 📉 National Party's organizational decline: Once adept at unifying diverse interests, now driven by personal ambition and lobbying.
- 🎉 Jim Bolger's legacy: Celebrated for leadership and vision, initiated Treaty Settlement Process despite party resistance.
- 😕 Christopher Luxon's leadership: Criticized for impatience and disconnect with New Zealanders, labeling them as "whiny".
- 💼 Governance style: Resembles clientelism, favors interest groups with tax breaks and relaxed regulations.
- 🕰️ Historical parallels: Similarities with the First National Government's aggressive policy reversal post-Labour era.
- 🇳🇿 Successful National leaders: Holyoake, Muldoon, Bolger, and Key understood and connected with New Zealanders' needs, ensuring broad support.
