While the government attacks the left’s alleged reluctance to respond militarily to Islamic State, it continues to be strangely timid about another aspect of its […]
Leadership requires the leader to set aside self-interest. It is a concept that sometimes seems quite alien to Prime Minister John Key – who has […]
The boundary line between our troops having (a) an ‘advise and assist’ role in Iraq and (b) an actual combat role – which Prime Minister […]
Come Waitangi Day each year, Treaty settlements have become a de facto scorecard for New Zealand’s progress in race relations. It is not a good […]
The economic version of the sound of one hand clapping is a “market” with only one provider – and that is exactly what the three […]
Well, so much for all that enthusiasm about free speech in France. A couple of weeks ago, a 16 year old student was taken into […]
While not the decisive factor, last year’s election result must have made it easier for Greens Co-Leader Russel Norman to finally call it a day. […]
If anyone was in doubt about the accuracy of the comments made in India by Eleanor Catton, the reaction from some quarters here at home […]
Brain fades are one thing, but the brain freeze that seems to have beset the Prime Minister over the Mike Sabin affair is an even […]
The Key government has already kicked off the political year on a stridently ideological note, with Environment Minister Nick Smith choosing to lay all manner […]
So the US has been holding talks in London this week with its 21 coalition allies, on how best to co-ordinate the military response against […]
The election in Greece on Sunday – and the likely triumph of the left wing Syriza Party – will be only the first of three […]
This week, Prime Minister John Key was reportedly invited to join a private birthday celebration for the young daughter of British PM David Cameron. They’re […]
Like most events in security intelligence, the resignation for “family reasons” of GCSB boss Ian Fletcher has got (a) a simple straightforward explanation and (b) […]
Now that the Kouachi brothers have made their Butch-and-Sundance dash for martyrdom, and now that the millions have marched in Paris and elsewhere to defend […]
Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than […]
Gordon Campbell on the dumping of bad news at Christmas By Gordon Campbell If the government really did have good tidings of great joy you […]
The slaughter of the children in Pakistan is incomprehensibly awful. On the side, it has thrown a spotlight onto something that’s become a pop cultural […]
Whenever the authorities bring a siege situation to an end, there will be criticism if – as has happened in Sydney – any hostages are […]
As 2014 grinds to a close, we probably didn’t need one more reminder of this government’s ability to stare reality in the face and declare […]
So China’s President Xi wants New Zealand to help them to extradite ‘corrupt’ Chinese officials who have fled here with their ill-gotten gains. Hey, who […]
While Labour and National fiddle around with the powers of the security services – and warrantless surveillance is still an outrage even if it lasts […]
The use of cute labels to market bad ideas is what you do when running the country seems like a process similar to selling soap […]
John Key’s credibility has taken a hammering this week – at least among the 50% of the electorate who have always had doubts about him […]
As anyone who’s ever encountered him around Parliament will verify, Chris Finlayson’s arrogance is matched only by his sense of self-esteem. On RNZ this morning […]
Suddenly, we’re awash in inquiries and reviews. (It feels almost as if the Greens won the last election.) Caught out by the damning inquiry by […]
The recent appointment of former TVNZ boss Rick Ellis to head Te Papa has copped a fair bit of criticism. Much of it has been […]
Could this news report serve to explain – in a nutshell – why Prime Minister John Key has not ruled out the SAS forming part […]
So Andrew Little has won the leadership – by the narrowest possible margin – from Grant Robertson, and has already been depicted by commentators as […]
It hasn’t been a great year for Trade Minister Tim Groser. The Trans Pacific Partnership deal has been deadlocked all year, amidst increasingly desperate attempts […]
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