Gordon Campbell on Kiwis being the Aussies’ friendly go-fers in the Pacific
If not for the surprise election result, Ardern would almost certainly have been able to score real policy gains with a Labor PM in her Canberra meeting.
Foreign Affairs
Gordon Campbell on asking the banks to be nicer to farmers
Farm debt in New Zealand has exploded by 270% in the last 20 years, to around $63 billion.
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 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.
Gordon Campbell on National’s extremely cosy relationship with China
Very positive messages have come from National Party politicians (past and present) about the desirability of increasing China’s trade and investment relationships with New Zealand
Gordon Campbell on National’s tax handouts
Simon Bridges has unveiled a heavenly vision of a “Not Tax But Still Spend” government.
Gordon Campbell on why we should care about the US exit from Afghanistan
The history of harm done by the US military is now tending to obscure the harm that’s being done by the polar opposite impulse: American isolationism.
Gordon Campbell on five lingering questions about the Huawei ban
The ban on Spark using Huawei technology within their planned 5G phone and Internet network continues to raise more questions than answers.
Gordon Campbell on how banning Huawei fits into our new hostility towards China
Consumers will probably have to pay more for 5G services, as a result of the decision to invoke national security concerns to ban Huawei technology from our new 5G networks.
Gordon Campbell on New Zealand’s complicity in Africa’s last great neo-colonial dispute
If David Parker really wants to hone his crisis-managing chops, he maybe should be turning his attention to the Western Sahara
Gordon Campbell on how Malaysia has exposed our dodgy policies towards China
Mahathir Mohamad has exposed how New Zealand is trying to make a virtue out of sitting on the fence over the South China Sea dispute
Gordon Campbell on why deportation decisions should be transparent
Kicking the problematic cases upstairs for the Minister to operate as some kind of ‘last chance saloon’ is to turn the deportation decision into a lottery.
Gordon Campbell on why Japan is our new best friend
On Thursday, Acting PM Winston Peters will be playing host to the nearest thing to his doppelganger in the Asia-Pacific region.
Gordon Campbell on five reasons not to spend billions on replacing the Orions
Centre-left governments will give Defence whatever it says it needs, for fear that a “No” will result in them being labelled a bunch of peaceniks.
Gordon Campbell on tomorrow’s EU trade talks with NZ
One of the world’s most influential bureaucrats will launch the process of a trade pact between the EU and NZ.
Gordon Campbell on the PM’s Indonesian guest, West Papua and Perfume Genius
As David Lange once said, it is almost impossible to get New Zealand to think about Indonesia, the huge nation sitting right on our doorstep.
Gordon Campbell on Winston Peters’ attempts to cozy up to Trump, and to Russia
Attempts by the Foreign Affairs Minister to downplay Russia’s role in the shooting down of MH17 have already earned unflattering coverage across the Tasman
Gordon Campbell on our unthinking readiness to confront China
Other countries regard trade deals as an adjunct of diplomacy and defence and proceed accordingly.
From the Hood : Mateship
A List of Thing Mates Don’t Let Mates Do, Based on a Google Search and/or the Fact Asylum Seekers are Human Beings
Gordon Campbell on Ardern’s refugee non-deal
Trump has welshed on the Manus deal to Australia… On the weekend, Turnbull humiliated Jacinda Ardern in turn, by once again rejecting New Zealand’s offer.
New Eyes on Trade
David Parker needs to continue how he has started
Is Kaiser Bill alive and well in the White House?
The Trump/Kaiser parallels are quite unnerving…
What’s New Zealand telling Trump about his threats to North Korea?
Sometimes friends have to tell friends they’re acting crazy…
Gordon Campbell on why Labour isn’t responsible for Barnaby Joyce
Evidently, the National government is similarly desperate for anything that might discredit or derail the Ardern juggernaut, even if that means throwing Peter Dunne under a bus.
Gordon Campbell on the Bojo visit
British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson is in town today, just over a year since his political career peaked… and then wobbled off into a grey […]
Gordon Campbell on the Todd Barclay cover-up (and the GCSB’s support for Groser)
[Go to Todd Barclay comment] When a small town kid makes good, everyone in the village – who after all, raised that child – is […]
Gordon Campbell on the limits of political loyalty
In the wake of the Comey testimony, one of Donald Trump’s White House defenders has claimed in her boss’s defence: “The President is not a liar.”
Gordon Campbell on Tillerson’s problems with Trump
Tillerson’s sober re-assurances to PM Bill English that the US remains committed to global and regional engagement count for very little.
Gordon Campbell on the Rex Tillerson visit
Rex Tillerson will be welcomed in style – even though he could fairly be called the least influential person in decades to hold the post.
Gordon Campbell on our caving in to the Aussies
The latest expression of this lopsided relationship has seen young Kiwis at Australian universities being hit with a trebling of their tuition fees.