Gordon Campbell on the survival of RNZ Concert
Come July and under current plans, RNZ Concert as we now know it will have ceased to exist. Instead, it seems that Concert is being […]
Columns
Gordon Campbell on the economic impact of coronavirus, and the Iowa debacle
As Bloomberg says, the coronavirus shutdown is creating the world’s biggest work-from-home experiment. On the upside, the mortality rate with the current outbreak is lower […]
Gordon Campbell on dodging a bullet over the transport cost over-runs
As New Zealand gears up to begin its $6.8 billion programme of large scale roading projects all around the country, we should be aware of […]
Gordon Campbell on National’s hopes of driving NZF out of Parliament
For months, National’s best (and only?) hope of winning Election 2020 has involved keeping New Zealand First down below the 5% MMP threshold, and out […]
Gordon Campbell on Kobemania, Palestine, and the infrastructure package
Quick quiz to end the week. What deserves the more attention – the death of a US basketball legend, or the end of Palestinian hopes […]
Gordon Campbell on China treating our citizens as coronavirus hostages, and Election 2020
More than once at her post-Cabinet press conference yesterday, PM Jacinda Ardern claimed it would be “very difficult” to evacuate the 53 New Zealanders currently […]
Gordon Campbell On The Coronavirus Outbreak
The coronavirus – its official World Health Organisation designation is 2019-nCoV – is believed to have originated as a seafood-to-human transfer, with ground zero for […]
Gordon Campbell on the double standard that’s bound to dominate Election 2020
Are National really better political managers than Labour, particularly when it comes to running the economy? For many voters – and the business community in […]
Gordon Campbell on dealing with impeccable, impeachable lies
By now, the end game the Republican Senate majority has in mind in their setting of the rules for the impeachment trial of Donald J. […]
Gordon Campbell on why the dice are loaded against women in public life
If they enter public life, women can expect a type of intense (and contradictory) scrutiny that is rarely applied to their male counterparts. If they […]
Gordon Campbell on chilling the warm fuzzies about the US/China trade deal
Hold the champagne, folks. This week’s China/US deal is more about a change in tone between the world’s two biggest economies – thank goodness they’re […]
Gordon Campbell on the excellent new classroom materials about climate change
Inevitably, children hear a lot about climate change – on the news, on the street, from their friends – and a lot of that news […]
Gordon Campbell on the Iran aftermath
So, evidently, you can get away with murder. It looks as though a further escalation in the ongoing war between Iran and the US has […]
Gordon Campbell on the Aussie bush fires, and the killing of Qassem Suleimani
In popular culture, Australia is often portrayed as Western civilisation’s last unspoiled frontier, or as its final refuge from planetary disaster. In Nevil Shute’s best-selling […]
Gordon Campbell on the best music of 2019
In a year where so many of the highlights came from female musicians, there was one standout album…
Gordon Campbell on Scotland’s renewed battle for independence
While it isn’t surprising that Boris Johnson won the election, he might also have lost the United Kingdom
Gordon Campbell on what any White Island inquiry might look like
Presumably, if there is to be a ministerial inquiry (at the very least) into the Whakaari/White Island disaster, it will need to be a joint ministerial inquiry.
Gordon Campbell on why raising benefits is a better option than spending on infrastructure
If New Zealand has a pressing need to stimulate its flagging economy, it seems very weird to meet this need with a $12 billion package of infrastructure spending…
Gordon Campbell on the Whakaari/White Island eruption
New Zealand itself is at risk of being seen as a tourism destination where commercial factors determine the boundary line of acceptable risk
Gordon Campbell on the recent upheavals inside Iran, and Coldplay
In the fortnight since the Internet got switched back on in Iran, the ferocity of the crackdown on the recent demonstrations has become evident.
Gordon Campbell on stoking fears about cannabis law reform
It was always going to be hard to have a rational debate on cannabis reform. Far easier for politicians to win votes by stoking alarm.
Gordon Campbell on the likely role of PPPs in Labour’s infrastructural spending
The same argument that Robertson has made for these projects apply equally to why the government should borrow the money to build them itself
Gordon Campbell on the alleged sins of New Zealand First
Be it the scandals he has uncovered (eg the Winebox) or the scandals he has featured in… Winston Peters is, as they say, good copy.
Gordon Campbell on China’s bad week, and Labour’s tribalism
Even before the local body election results came in from Hong Kong, China had been having a p.r. nightmare this week.
Gordon Campbell on the welcome restoration of prisoners’ right to vote
One one front, the government has now done the right thing, and has partially restored the right of prisoners to vote
Gordon Campbell on why New Zealand should be compensating the Afghan civilian casualties on its old firing range
Reportedly, there have been 17 civilian deaths and injuries (seven of the dead were children) caused by ordnance left behind on the firing range of our Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Bamiyan province.
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
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