This is edition 2025/86 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. A Case study in the dark arts of lobbying
Bryce Edwards
- 💼 Retirement living in NZ is a billion-dollar industry.
- 🏘️ Companies like Ryman Health dominate with billions in assets.
- 📜 Government is reviewing the Retirement Villages Act 2003.
- 🛡️ Businesses resist changes to protect profits.
- 🗳️ Residents organize via RVRA for better contracts.
- 🕵️♂️ RVA hires lobbyists like Capital Gov Relations.
- 🌱 RVRC, an astroturf group, aims to influence policy.
- 🤝 RVRC vs RVRA: Controlled vs grassroots representation.
- 🔍 Astroturfing blurs lines between advocacy groups.
- 🏛️ Government includes RVRC in policy consultations.
- ⚖️ Concerns over compromised advocacy and influence.
- 📰 NBR exposes RVRC's role in lobbying tactics.
