Gordon Campbell on hostility against journalists, and Israel’s lies about Iran
Tomorrow (May 3) is the UN’s World Press Freedom Day. At last count, 32 working journalists had been killed this year up until April 30, […]
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Gordon Campbell on health promises, BP, and the White House correspondents furore
Remember that classic clip of Homer Simpson reacting to news of the government’s best effort at speed –roasting a buffalo? Keep that impatience in mind. […]
Gordon Campbell on the need for immediate action on WINZ
So the old saying goes, the main difference between the centre-right and centre-left is that both believe in market solutions, but the centre-left spends a […]
Gordon Campbell on the perils of using PPPs to meet Auckland’s roading needs
More than once, the coalition government has ruled out using public private partnerships (PPPs) to fund the country’s infrastructure needs in health and education – […]
Gordon Campbell on why France could become our closest ally in Europe
As PM Jacinda Ardern returns from a triumphant tour to Britain and the capitals of Europe, her officials have probably begun to assess what the […]
Gordon Campbell on Thompson+ Clark, and Russia’s FIFA World Cup
Daily, the coalition government keeps running into examples of the toxic legacy left behind by National – and just as regularly, even the simple fixes […]
Gordon Campbell on the GCSB’s security hang-up with Russia
So our GCSB has chimed in, alongside its British, Australian and US allies, with warnings about a “fresh wave” of Russian cyber attacks, although the […]
Gordon Campbell on the chemical weapons attack (and response) in Syria
The past week’s headlines about the chemical attacks in Syria – and the military response by the US, France and Britain – have tended to […]
Gordon Campbell on the prevailing media narratives about the Labour–led coalition
The media reports the facts…. but that’s not the end of it, and nor should it be. It also marshals those facts and creates a […]
Gordon Campbell on the Hit&Run inquiry
So there is to be a government inquiry into the 2010 raid on an Afghan village, as described in the Nicky Hager/Jon Stephenson book Hit […]
Gordon Campbell on Labour’s timidity, and the temporary outrage over Syria
What an odd post-Cabinet press conference that was yesterday, from PM Jacinda Ardern and Finance Minister Grant Robertson. Overall, it was like hearing from the […]
Gordon Campbell on racial profiling at Immigration New Zealand
So Immigration New Zealand has been using racial profiling to guide its decisions on which kinds of immigrants it should deport. Oh sure, they’re saying […]
Gordon Campbell on making our roads safer, less congested
If Auckland wants a better, modern transport system – and if the rest of the country wants safer roads that kill and injure fewer people […]
Gordon Campbell on Middlemore Hospital as a symptom of neglect
Week by week, the sheer scale of the neglect to crucial social infrastructure by the Key/English government becomes apparent – and with it the size […]
Gordon Campbell on the looming inquiry into the Hit & Run events
It now seems certain the government will be launching an independent inquiry (after Easter) into the allegations contained in the Hit & Run book, and […]
Gordon Campbell on Clare Curran’s dim future
Now that the initial shock of Carol Hirschfeld’s resignation has worn off, we’re getting to the sharp end of the RNZ story. Why did Broadcasting […]
Gordon Campbell on the hype about the Reserve Bank’s new governor
It is time for the ritual handover at the Reserve Bank. Sometime today, Adrian Orr will don the gubernatorial undergarments, drain the Goblet of Knowledge […]
Gordon Campbell on a trade war with China
As things currently stand, the White House has NOT included New Zealand on its list of allies whose steel and aluminium exports to the US […]
Gordon Campbell on the Ardern/Bridges problems with credibility
Credibility is always such a fickle, unstable element in politics. You know it when you see it, though. In January a US publication called The […]
Gordon Campbell on the (looming) nurses’ strike
It is (almost) possible to feel a bit sorry for the DHB negotiators engaged in the current nurses pay round. Come next Monday there’s every […]
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.
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.