Gordon Campbell on reforming Parliament’s toxic culture, and the Christian right
Long ago, politics was defined as a blood sport, and many MPs feel pretty chuffed about their take-no-prisoners approach…
Columns
Gordon Campbell on why we shouldn’t genuflect to calls for secrecy
Reportedly most (and possibly all) of the Royal Commission investigation into the Christchurch mosque shootings will be closed to the general public and to the media.
Gordon Campbell on the Christchurch Call, and Lizzo
The zigzagging nature of the Christchurch Call To Action’s content reflects the genuine tension that exists on this subject.
Gordon Campbell on the (lack of an) end game for the teachers strike
The education sector looks like one of those games of American football where its hard to keep your eye on where the ball is… Neither side seems to have much of a plan for advancing to the end zone.
Gordon Campbell on yesterday’s token moves on climate change and interest rates
Yesterday, a visiting Martian would reasonably conclude that New Zealanders takes the threat of inflation a lot more seriously than climate change. To all outward […]
Gordon Campbell on the government’s timidity on welfare reform
Only six months ago, the jury was still out on whether the Ardern government would enter the history books as a radical force for change, or as mere tinkerers with the status quo…
Gordon Campbell on the rites of collective punishment in Venezuela
Yemen, Venezuela, Iran, Gaza… each currently share one thing in common: their citizens are being subjected to collective punishment, in order to bring about regime change.
Gordon Campbell on the media’s novel rules for the Christchurch shooter’s trial
The main news outlets in New Zealand have jointly agreed to limit their coverage of the upcoming trial of the Christchurch shooter…
Gordon Campbell on why we should support the junior doctors strike
The powers that individual DHBs are seeking look like a throwback to the early 1990s. Then, as now, the rationale was that this local “flexibility” was necessary.
Gordon Campbell on the left-wing victory in Spain
Portugal and Spain continue to be striking exceptions to the rise of rightwing populism in Europe.
On Ardern and Macron’s campaign against violent social media content
In the wake of the Christchurch mosque shootings, there is now a strong political appetite for some sort of regulatory action.
Gordon Campbell on Islam’s view of Easter
There are about 100 verses in the Koran that mention Jesus Christ, but only one of them mentions the crucifixion…
Gordon Campbell on scrapping the capital gains tax
With the wisdom of hindsight, the Labour/Greens combo never did have the numbers to get a meaningful capital gains tax (CGT) across the line…
Gordon Campbell on the extradition of Julian Assange
It isn’t necessary to like Julian Assange to think that his extradition to the US (on the charge of aiding and abetting Chelsea Manning) would be a major injustice.
Gordon Campbell on the policing of social media content
Many countries – some, even before the Christchurch attacks – have unveiled ways in which they intend to ensure the removal of harmful social media material
Gordon Campbell on the pitfalls facing the Royal Commission
The Royal Commission will consider whether the SIS placed the eventual victims under undue surveillance – while paying comparatively little attention to the threat posed by white nationalism.
Gordon Campbell on the legal crackdown on hate crimes
Deterring hate speech and outlawing hate crime has the aim of providing better protections to vulnerable persons and communities, but without unduly restricting the public’s rights to free expression.
Gordon Campbell on the human rights dimension of Jacinda Ardern’s visit to China
It is also difficult to imagine that even a moral lecture by a New Zealand PM would do much to improve the lot of the persecuted, or make the tyrants mend their ways
Gordon Campbell on ridding the Net of white supremacist propaganda
So there is to be a Royal Commission inquiry into the mosque attacks… at least this will be somewhat at arms length from the government whose agencies will be under scrutiny.
Lyndon Hood : Te mea nui o te ao
What our deal is down here, our thing, if it was up to me, For us living on these sanctuary piles of rock in the […]
Gordon Campbell on what the Ardern government could have done better
Across New Zealand and the world , PM Jacinda Ardern has justifiably won praise for how she has responded to the Christchurch attacks. There have been a few areas where the performance of the government has been less than stellar.
Gordon Campbell on Brexit and Christchurch tragedy porn
Just when we thought the Brexit mess couldn’t get any messier, it suddenly has.
Gordon Campbell on why the government shouldn’t run the Christchurch massacre inquiry
Yesterday Jacinda Ardern announced an inquiry into the background to the mosque attacks and into the role played by the SIS, GCSB, Police, Customs, and Immigration.
Gordon Campbell on what effective changes to our gun law and to the SIS, would look like
The government has signalled that its response to the Christchurch mosque shootings will proceed on two main fronts…
Gordon Campbell on the school strike for climate change
On Friday, March 15, New Zealand teenagers will be holding their own school strike against climate change, as part of the global action.
Gordon Campbell on tax dodges, and the Brexit vote
2019 is proving to be such a bad year for the Kiwi way of life, which – patriots beware! – is under attack on all fronts by the IRD.
Gordon Campbell on Shane Jones, and a Huawei update
For better and worse, this is a small country, and the business community in Northland is smaller still…
Gordon Campbell on the handling of sexual assault complaints, and ticket scalping
In New Zealand, only four out of ten sexual assault cases that are taken to court result in a conviction.
Gordon Campbell on justice for Kiwi jihadis
Mark Taylor, the Kiwi recruit to ISIS, ultimately put himself in the hands of the Kurdish forces in northern Syria. That was smart of him, and/or lucky.
Gordon Campbell on why Justin Trudeau’s fate matters to New Zealand
The scandal now engulfing Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party is the kind of train wreck that confirms the public’s worst feelings about politicians and their back-room dealings.