This is edition 2025/26 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. Just what is Social Cohesion ?
Peter Williams
- 🌟 Social cohesion, a concept dating back centuries, is now promoted by initiatives like Te Korowai Whetu, focusing on community-based efforts funded by the government.
- 📜 The Ministry of Justice's Regulatory Impact Statement criticizes the Treaty Principles Bill, citing risks to social cohesion if non-Māori impose decisions on Māori through referenda.
- 📚 Social cohesion thrives when everyone is equal before the law, has equal opportunities in education and healthcare, and can freely enjoy, develop, and dispose of their possessions within legal bounds.
- 🏛️ Special privileges based on ethnicity, such as preferential medical school admission or local authority appointments, can undermine social cohesion by creating unequal treatment.
- 🗳️ Democracy, imperfect but essential, ensures decisions reflect the will of the majority, crucial for maintaining social harmony despite political disagreements.
