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.
Columns
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 Police pursuits
The willingness of the Police to play Russian roulette with public safety via its current policy on pursuits continues to end in carnage
Gordon Campbell on the #MeToo movement in Sweden
The #MeToo campaign has been approached by Sweden in an impressively systematic fashion.
Gordon Campbell on the departure of Steven Joyce
In the end, the party leadership left the loaded revolver on Steven Joyce’s desk, and he did the decent thing. Amy Adams as Finance spokesperson […]
Gordon Campbell on our unthinking readiness to confront China
Other countries regard trade deals as an adjunct of diplomacy and defence and proceed accordingly.
Gordon Campbell on why prison inmates should be allowed to vote
What the government’s BORA announcement signaled first and foremost, was that prisoners in the New Zealand could be about to win back the right to vote.
Gordon Campbell on the poisoned chalice Simon Bridges has won
Voters on the centre-right of politics need to pray that Simon Bridges is not the only winner from the National leadership contest.
Gordon Campbell on the David Parker and MFAT claims about the CPTPP
The realities of market competition on the ground are likely to put a considerable dent in the rosy estimates delivered by the MFAT modeling
Gordon Campbell on the gun debate, here and in the US
Gun ownership in the US is a mystery to New Zealanders, and so is the constitutional fetish that surrounds it.
Gordon Campbell on the Mueller probe, and Russia’s economy
In itself, the indictment of 13 Russian nationals wlll do little to change views on the Mueller investigation
Gordon Campbell on National’s leadership contest
Essentially, English ran a great FPP campaign last year, and if the political system hadn’t changed 25 years ago you’d count that performance as a success…
Gordon Campbell on bidding good riddance to charter schools
There has never been a body of evidence – either here or in the US or anywhere else – to show that charter schools provide better educational results for kids
Gordon Campbell on this week’s sharemarket panic
The Dow has precious little to do with the NZ sharemarket…
Gordon Campbell on the Nunes memo, and the alleged liberal plot against Trump
Every now and then the US system erupts and throws up a piece of political magma that can’t be described or explained in any rational fashion.
Gordon Campbell on National’s leadership rumbles
There’s a ritual to leadership changes after an election loss, and the National Party is dutifully following the script.
Gordon Campbell on the child poverty targets
As PM Jacinda Ardern said yesterday, targets alone are not enough.
Gordon Campbell on the fake scare about international students
Shock horror. International students pay fees, spend money, work part-time and pay tax in the NZ economy, and ultimately some of them stay on!
Gordon Campbell on our latest trade pact dealings, and the mental health review
Jacinda Ardern is flatly, 100% wrong when she says that most countries are now chasing multilateral trade deals like the TPP 11 deal she’s due to sign in Chile on March 8.
Gordon Campbell on the selling out of the Kurds
Once every decade, the Kurds flicker across the Western world’s radar, usually in the role of victims.
Gordon Campbell on Oprah as a presidential hopeful
Oprah for President…That was one of those summer silly season stories, right ? Maybe not. On the morning after the Golden Globes Awards ceremony where […]
Gordon Campbell on the latest US threats to bomb North Korea
Just before Christmas, the US political scientist and government consultant Edward Luttwak published an article in Foreign Policy magazine called “Its Time To Bomb North […]
Gordon Campbell on Jim Anderton
For anyone born after 1975, it is hard to grasp just how important a figure Jim Anderton was, for an entire generation. During the mid […]
Gordon Campbell on the US demonising of Iran
Satan may not exist, but the Evil One has always been a handy tool for priests and politicians alike. Currently, Iran is the latest bogey […]
Gordon Campbell on the attacks on Lorde, over Israel
The escalation of attacks on Lorde for her considered decision not to perform in Israel is unfortunate, but is not entirely unexpected. In many respects […]
Gordon Campbell on yesterday’s quest for zero net carbon emissions
Some would querulously ask, zero net carbon emissions by 2050 – while others would say, why not?
Gordon Campbell on why a ‘hard Brexit’ has hit a brick wall
It has been a grimly fascinating week for Brexit train (wreck) spotters.
Gordon Campbell on Defence spending, Alabama, and Dolly Parton
The spending lavished on Defence projects to meet the risks that could maybe, possibly, theoretically face New Zealand in future is breath-taking.
Gordon Campbell on vulnerable kids, fresh RNZ funding, and Poppy
The decision to remove the word ‘vulnerable’ from the Ministry for Vulnerable Children could well mark a whole shift in approach to the care of children in need.
Gordon Campbell on the politics of scaring voters back into line
In 2017, bogeymen of all shapes and sizes seem to have fallen on hard times.