Gordon Campbell on Winston Peters’ troubled tango with the ACT Party
In line with its ideological mission to destroy any and all of the creative partnerships between the state, business, science and public health, the ACT […]
State Sector
Gordon Campbell on the ways the public is being left unprotected by the public service reforms
In a town like Wellington that’s full of public servants, the fact that the public service is facing its biggest shake-up in 30 years sounds like a very big deal.
Gordon Campbell on why Thompson+ Clark are just the tip of the iceberg
It seems naive to bemoan how state agencies spy on ordinary citizens without addressing how those agencies came to be the hired hands of the policies of the government of the day.
Gordon Campbell on the nurses dispute, and our timidity over Iran
No more money was supposedly available to resolve the nurses dispute. Yet in the wake of industrial action taken by the nurses, another $38 million has been found…
Gordon Campbell on the nurses strike
The claims by nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants are part of a wider struggle.
Gordon Campbell on putting the cost of the nurses (and teachers) pay rounds in perspective
Military hardware is really, really – really – expensive.
Gordon Campbell on Winston Peters and MSD
Politicisation of state-gathered and state-managed information should be a concern to everyone.
Gordon Campbell on the aged-care settlement
Strange indeed to hear a National Prime Minister not only singing the praises of raising wages, but also preaching that this will enable employers to reap future benefits.
Gordon Campbell on the costs of cost-cutting
Finance Minister Steven Joyce has been persuaded to pony up an extra $10 million to keep the jobs of 26 safety officers in the Police commercial vehicle investigations unit
Gordon Campbell on the Surplus, And Bob Dylan
To quote the distinguished Nobel laureate, “Something is happening here, and you don’t know what it is, do you Mr Jones?”
Gordon Campbell on the govt’s token plans for cyber-security
Basically, the world is divided into two types of people: those who think the Panama Papers illustrate the bad shit that some people do, and […]
Gordon Campbell on Pharmac’s grudging concession to reality
Is this any way to run a health system… whereby terminally ill patients are forced into public demonstrations before the government (and its funding agency […]
Gordon Campbell on not crying foul, Argentina
So a couple of guys found to be criminally liable of environmental pollution in Argentina lodge an application with the Overseas Investment Office… in order […]
Gordon Campbell on having an extradition treaty with China
Reportedly, an extradition treaty with China is now on the table, although – thankfully – Prime Minister John Key has also indicated that a lot […]
Gordon Campbell on political rhetoric, and the Dark Triad
Unfortunately, the systematic use of tax avoidance strategies – by corporates and by wealthy individuals – is not occurring in a vacuum. At an accelerating […]
Gordon Campbell on living in denial about the Panama Papers
So now we know why New Zealand won all those awards for being the ‘easiest place to do business.’ Evidently, foreign firms that register in […]
Gordon Campbell on the Defence Force’s spending bonanza
It has been a fairly typical week for this government… mental health services in Christchurch slashed, further massive cuts to DHB funding, and the abdication […]
Gordon Campbell on bribing the Saudis and Oscar racism
Does this sound familiar? In the mid 2000s, New Zealand wanted to pursue a humanitarian policy, on live sheep exports. This happened to offend a […]
Gordon Campbell on Paula Bennett’s fantasy politics and Iran
We seem to be living in an era of virtual government, where governments promote only an illusion of policy kapow! rather than the sort of […]
Gordon Campbell on making the media pay for OIA requests
Click for big version. So it seems that since November, the Reserve Bank has been quietly enacting a policy of charging the media for Official […]
Gordon Campbell on the John Key smear attack, Russia’s sports doping and Allen Toussaint
The rationale behind Prime Minister John Key’s smear attack against Labour yesterday (and the subsequent walkout from Parliament) was obvious enough. When you’re in a […]
Gordon Campbell on the gender pay gap
Column – Gordon Campbell Care to know what Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence thinks about the gender wage gap? No? Well, I suppose she is […]
Gordon Campbell on our apparent inability to stand up to Australia
If you fight your bullies, the TV series Freaks and Geeks suggested, it can be painful at the time… but you earn respect and they […]
Gordon Campbell on Serco’s emerging role as the government’s favourite corporate crony, and the TPP fallout
There’s no success like failure, as Bob Dylan once said, and Serco’s failures mean nothing but trouble on the horizon for ordinary New Zealanders. Unfortunately, […]
Gordon Campbell on the lack of accountability over the Philip Smith case
In New Zealand, accountability is an exotic creature rarely glimpsed at ministerial level, or among senior management. The flight to Rio by the paedophile /murderer […]
Gordon Campbell on the Chris Brown furore
Thank goodness Dame Tariana Turia has been able to inject a bit of common sense into the Chris Brown visa issue – her argument being […]
Gordon Campbell on New Zealand’s TPP done deal on dairy, and on investor-state disputes
For five years, the public has been denied any meaningful information about the content and progress of the TPP – on the bogus excuse that […]
Gordon Campbell on Paula Bennett’s gaffe, and Luna in Newtown
Local Government Minister Paula Bennett’s statement of support for cutting red tape in the building industry was probably self-certified as being politically OK, but it […]
Gordon Campbell on our response to the Syrian refugee crisis
The full scale of the New Zealand government response to the Syrian refugee crisis – reportedly, the world’s biggest humanitarian challenge since the post-war formation […]
Gordon Campbell on the Children’s Commission report on CYF
Accusing the overworked and underfunded staff at Child, Youth and Family of a “dump and run culture of neglect” is the kind of luxury that […]