Gordon Campbell on the West’s existential crisis about what to do with Putin, and the Islamic State
Say one thing for Russian President Vladimir Putin. At least he’s given NATO a purpose in life. Right now, that consists of being something that […]
Articles
Gordon Campbell on the Greens proposal to gradually lift the minimum wage
Heading into the election home stretch, voters have a clear choice about the best way to help low and middle income New Zealanders. They can […]
Gordon Campbell on John Key’s ‘blame it on Judith’ strategy
Right now, Prime Minister John Key seems intent on limiting the scope of any inquiry into his government’s dealings with Cameron Slater. The declared aim […]
Gordon Campbell on last night’s debate, and the Collins accusation
Debating is a peculiar discipline in that what you say is less important than how you’re saying it. Looking poised, being articulate and staying on […]
Gordon Campbell on Winston Peters’ latest bout of immigrant bashing, and Bob Dylan in the basement (again)
So in the latest 3News-Reid Research poll, New Zealand First and the Conservatives have been the big winners. It is only one poll, but rather […]
Gordon Campbell on the US foreign policy somersaults over Syria and Iran
Amidst the day-to-day reports about the military advances of the Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria, one remarkable aspect of this war has barely […]
Gordon Campbell on National’s housing assistance plan
So, as many as 90,000 people could derive some benefit from National’s housing assistance plans for low and middle-income earners. As much as $218 million […]
Gordon Campbell on the usual round of mud slinging and name-calling
The media, as its critics regularly point out, is far too easily diverted by political sideshows and slanging matches, from its duty to cover the […]
Gordon Campbell on no more Mr Nice Guy
When future historians seek to identify the exact moment when the prime ministerial career of John Key hit the downward slope, they may well point […]
Gordon Campbell on the ongoing fallout from Nicky Hager’s book
Call me old-fashioned, but ad hominem attacks have almost seemed the last refuge of a scoundrel. That doesn’t mean you can’t reach a conclusion or […]
Gordon Campbell on Nicky Hager’s new book
Illustration by Tim Denee According to Minister of Everything Steven Joyce – whose duties now extend to fielding questions about Nicky Hager’s new book Dirty […]
Gordon Campbell on dropping bait for election coverage
Getting yourself criticised by the educated elite is a well-worn path to electoral success in this country, dating all the way back to Rob Muldoon […]
Gordon Campbell on the US rescue mission in Iraq
It isn’t often that unilateral US bombing raids within a foreign country can be supported, but the current US bombing campaign in northern Iraq is […]
Gordon Campbell on Internet Mana’s swearing video
Hand on heart time, folks. At any time in the past six years, has the thought “ F+++ John Key” ever crossed your mind? I […]
Gordon Campbell on the Gaza truce, and ‘human shields’
While the truce in Gaza allows time for negotiations on a more lasting solution, the current signs emerging from the Israeli side are not encouraging. […]
Gordon Campbell on Winston Peters as an endangered species
It is still anyone’s guess which major party will Winston Peters support after Election Day 2014, though suspicions are rife. But if we’re being reduced […]
Gordon Campbell on how Gaza affects our UN bid
At an international level, the Key government is waging another election campaign right now, to win a temporary seat on the UN Security Council. So […]
Gordon Campbell on the rise of ISIS, and Labour
While global attention got distracted by the fate of MH17 and the atrocities in Gaza, the world’s other mega ‘bad news’ story – the rise […]
Gordon Campbell on National’s electorate deals
Image by Neetflux For all the talk yesterday from Prime Minister John Key about National being transparent about its electorate deals in Epsom and Ohariu, […]
Gordon Campbell on Gaza and burning the Israeli flag
One of the selling points in New Zealand’s campaign for a temporary seat on the Security Council is that we have a pluckily independent voice […]
Gordon Campbell on the non-apology to Tania Billingsley
The refusal by Prime Minister John Key to issue a personal apology to Tania Billingsley has been accompanied by an array of excuses. Yes, there […]
Gordon Campbell on the failure to prosecute the GCSB
So one hand of the state – the Independent Police Conduct Authority – has now washed the hands of its brother agencies, and declared that […]
Gordon Campbell on the Dotcom emails
Back in 2010 at least, the email trail recently released to David Fisher of the NZ Herald shows that the Immigration Service had found an […]
Gordon Campbell on the shonky Police statistics, and the Israeli air strikes on Gaza
When people systematically alter how being statistics are recorded in order to gain personal and organisational advantage, that’s usually when the Police get called in. […]
Gordon Campbell on this week’s TPP talks and the election meltdown in Afghanistan
As negotiators gather in Ottawa this week for the latest round of talks on the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal, the opposition to (a) the […]
Gordon Campbell on today’s presidential elections in Indonesia
Indonesia is holding presidential elections later today. As usual, New Zealand seems completely uninterested in what happens in Indonesia – even though our huge neighbor […]
Gordon Campbell on the BNP Paribas case, and the selective pursuit of Dotcom
So the extradition hearing for Kim Dotcom has been delayed until next February. In another long running drama, a final deal on the Trans Pacific […]
Gordon Campbell on the diplomatic immunity fallout at MFAT, and Iraq/Vietnam comparisons
Image by Neetflux Terrific. I’m glad that Murray McCully is well and truly determined to get to the bottom of who screwed up the Malaysian […]
Gordon Campbell on Murray McCully’s avoidance strategy for his latest disaster
Blame the officials. Go to ground. Looks like standard operational procedure for Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully, this time with respect to Malaysia over the […]
Gordon Campbell on Helen Clark’s UN Secretary-General bid
Helen Clark’s informal campaign to succeed Ban Ki-Moon as UN Secretary-General is moving into a higher gear. Her June 11 interview on BBC’s Hard Talk […]