Gordon Campbell on Labour’s age problem, and the battle for Port Hills
Labour has been steadily improving its gender balance… yet just as steadily losing the generational battle to the Greens
Columns
Gordon Campbell on why the public is losing patience with the farming sector’s persecution complex
The narrative that our farmers are ‘doing it tough’ plays into a number of wellworn stereotypes…
Gordon Campbell on why Sustainable NZ isn’t self-sustaining
Asking whether this new, environmentally focussed party can make the 5% MMP threshold may be the wrong question…
Gordon Campbell on National’s anointing of Christopher Luxon
Clearly, the National Party hierarchy is very, very excited about Christopher Luxon
Gordon Campbell on giving the Police unnecessary new powers, and Spain’s elections
Police pursuits have a track record that makes them more dangerous than the original risk. Armed police units belong in the same category. The more insidious examples have to do with terrorism.
Gordon Campbell on National’s Stone Age package of welfare proposals
Gordon Campbell on National’s Stone Age package of welfare proposals Bad enough that the National Party led by Simon Bridges is still aiming to run […]
Gordon Campbell on the killing of the Islamic State leader
Gordon Campbell on the killing of the Islamic State leader So…as a few other reports have noted, the US has now killed the Islamic State […]
Gordon Campbell on the Greens learning to love a global destroyer of native forests, and women at work
Land Information Minister Eugenie Sage has allowed a Japanese-owned forestry company called Pan Pac Forest Products to bypass the Overseas Investment Office, and buy thousands of hectares of New Zealand land, without prior vetting and (apparently) without conditions attached.
Gordon Campbell on yesterday’s election ‘victory’ by Justin Trudeau
Yesterday in Canada… was a bad, bad election outcome for the fossil fuels industry.
Gordon Campbell on Simon Bridges trying to paint himself as a warrior against political correctness
Having failed all year at being a credible alternative Prime Minister, National leader Simon Bridges has lowered his aspirational target this week to something more within his range.
Gordon Campbell on global factors contributing to the possible demise of TV3
Oaktree has come under pressure to shed and/or streamline underperforming assets. So TV3 and Bravo are being peeled off from MediaWorks and put on the block.
Gordon Campbell on Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal
While his new deal is flawed, British PM Boris Johnson has achieved the impossible by coming up with a formula that (a) significantly differs from […]
Gordon Campbell on China’s ability to infringe free speech in other countries
Luckily for us, China seems to have no interest in rugby, netball or cricket. Therefore, New Zealand is probably safe from the amazing erosion of […]
Gordon Campbell on the fallout (so far) from the selling out of the Kurds
Less than a week can seem like a long time in politics…Reportedly, the US betrayal of the Kurds in northern Syria has not only trashed […]
Gordon Campbell on the local body election result in Wellington
For obvious reasons, politics is more of a big deal in the capital city than anywhere else in the country. Even so, fewer than four […]
Gordon Campbell on betraying the Kurds, and the criticism of Adrian Orr
The Americans have now thrown the Kurds under the bus and created the ideal conditions for an IS comeback – all done so that Donald Trump can brag he brought the US troops home.
Gordon Campbell on a superb new book on the leaky homes scandal, and Cowboy Bebop
The real value of Dyer’s book lies in how thoroughly he has unpicked all the various factors that came together to turn this entirely preventable disaster into an inevitability.
Gordon Campbell on British apologies and interest rate fiddling
In the 1990s, the awesome powers of central bankers would cause markets to tremble… Nowadays, central bankers can hack away at interest rates and nothing will happen.
Gordon Campbell on whether a Kiwi version of Boris Johnson could succeed in suspending our Parliament
Two experts cited at length by the NZ Herald seem to agree that our courts couldn’t reach a decision like the UK Supreme Court’s here, because our laws would expressly rule it out
Gordon Campbell on the Saudis (not) getting away with murdering Khashoggi
On October 2nd last year, the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by a hit squad of assassins acting on the orders of the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman.
Gordon Campbell on the media falling out of love with Jacinda Ardern, and other climate change concerns
The sensible antidote to Jacinda-mania isn’t this anti-Jacinda (middle of the) road rage. Especially since her alleged sins look so trivial, compared to what her peers are up to.
Gordon Campbell on Greta Thunberg, and Friday climate change actions
While there’s been an understandable focus by the media upon Greta Thunber, one remarkable thing about the movement she has inspired is that it is so de-centralised.
Gordon Campbell on the RWC, and the Operation Burnham inquiry debacle
Last week’s cross-examination demonstrated that the NZDF had consistently misled its Ministers (and the wider public) for years, over the impact of our activities in Afghanistan
Gordon Campbell on abortion law reform, and the US Electoral College nightmare
New Zealand and New South Wales are both trying to reform their abortion laws right now – and in our case, that reform is happening for the first time in 42 years.
Gordon Campbell on the Saudi oil refinery crisis
The Houthis in Yemen have ample motives and prior form in carrying out drone attacks in retaliation for the joint Saudi/Emirates onslaught against Yemen
Gordon Campbell on allegations of left wing bias in the mainstream media
The “left wing bias” accusation dates back at least to the mid 1990s… The charge was ridiculous then, and is ridiculous now.
Gordon Campbell on Labour’s mishandling of the alleged sexual assault
The focus of Labour’s alleged sexual assault scandal has now shifted from the party organisation to the Beehive.
Gordon Campbell on this week’s damning report into the SIS/GCSB’s tacit compliance with torture
The IGIS report investigates NZ’s role in the CIA’s illegal system of rendition and torture of captives in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, and the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan.
Gordon Campbell on China’s concessions to Hong Kong’s protest movement, and Johnson’s Waterloo
What a wretched time is being had by Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam.
Gordon Campbell on the necessary government actions to combat the measles outbreaks
At Monday’s post-Cabinet press conference, the director-general of Health predicted that the current measles outbreaks will peak in about two weeks time. Let’s hope.