Gordon Campbell on John Key’s trip to Iraq
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has just returned from a quick visit to our troops in Iraq, where he reportedly discovered that (a) Iraq […]
General Politics
Gordon Campbell on Serco’s emerging role as the government’s favourite corporate crony, and the TPP fallout
There’s no success like failure, as Bob Dylan once said, and Serco’s failures mean nothing but trouble on the horizon for ordinary New Zealanders. Unfortunately, […]
Gordon Campbell on the TPP deal reached in Atlanta
If the TPP was the Rugby World Cup, the New Zealand team probably wouldn’t be making it out of pool play. While the final details […]
Gordon Campbell on the TPP countdown, and Mary Margaret O’Hara
While Australia and the US have reached agreement on the patent exclusivity term for biologics – the new drugs that have been one of the […]
Gordon Campbell on the lack of accountability over the Philip Smith case
In New Zealand, accountability is an exotic creature rarely glimpsed at ministerial level, or among senior management. The flight to Rio by the paedophile /murderer […]
Gordon Campbell on the Chris Brown furore
Thank goodness Dame Tariana Turia has been able to inject a bit of common sense into the Chris Brown visa issue – her argument being […]
Gordon Campbell on New Zealand’s TPP done deal on dairy, and on investor-state disputes
For five years, the public has been denied any meaningful information about the content and progress of the TPP – on the bogus excuse that […]
Gordon Campbell on the Greens bad deal over the flags
Click for big version. So thanks to the Greens, the Red Peak design has now been added to the options for the flag referendum in […]
Gordon Campbell on Paula Bennett’s gaffe, and Luna in Newtown
Local Government Minister Paula Bennett’s statement of support for cutting red tape in the building industry was probably self-certified as being politically OK, but it […]
Gordon Campbell on the rise of Malcolm Turnbull
Well clearly, the loss of Tony Abbott – the country’s official spokesman on Women’s Affairs – has left the women of Australia feeling distraught and […]
Gordon Campbell on Corbyn, Trump and outsider politics
Jeremy Corbyn elevated to the leadership of Britain’s Labour Party! Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders on the rise in the US… On both sides of […]
Gordon Campbell on selecting refugees, Aussie generosity and a cat video
Now that we know how many Syrian refugees New Zealand will accept, the focus can shift onto how they’ll be selected, and the criteria in […]
Gordon Campbell on our response to the Syrian refugee crisis
The full scale of the New Zealand government response to the Syrian refugee crisis – reportedly, the world’s biggest humanitarian challenge since the post-war formation […]
Gordon Campbell on the lack of leadership on refugees
Image: Lyndon Hood – Cartoons: Refugees, Flags and What I Stand For John Key still doesn’t get it. At least he’s now talking about raising […]
Gordon Campbell on Refugees, the Flag and Bo Diddley
There’s a simple statistical reason why New Zealand should increase its refugee intake. Our UN quota has remained static – or fallen slightly – over […]
Gordon Campbell on the government’s response to the refugee crisis in Europe
The government’s refusal to accept an emergency intake of refugees from the hundreds of thousands now pouring into Europe is pretty shameful. This country makes […]
Gordon Campbell on the Children’s Commission report on CYF
Accusing the overworked and underfunded staff at Child, Youth and Family of a “dump and run culture of neglect” is the kind of luxury that […]
Gordon Campbell on the flag campaign
So far, the public has treated the government’s flag campaign with something between disinterest and disdain. Most New Zealanders have instinctively seen through the marketing […]
Gordon Campbell on Tim Groser and the Wrecking Crew
At times, a protest march can feel like a futile political tactic, but at least afterwards… Trade Minister Tim Groser can always be relied on […]
Gordon Campbell on Japan’s current doubts that the TPP has any future
Japan has made it clear it thinks New Zealand was the key major stumbling block to a successful conclusion of the Trans Pacific Partnership trade […]
Gordon Campbell on the economic bad news, and Turkey’s fears about the Kurds
Traditionally, voters regard National as a more competent manager of the economy. It is the sole upside of crony capitalism: surely these guys must know […]
Gordon Campbell on why we should still oppose investor-state dispute measures
Even in this dark hour for the TPP, the secrecy farce continues. On RNZ this morning, Trade Minister Tim Groser said he looks forward to […]
Gordon Campbell on Tim Groser missing in action on the TPP
While rapid change is always possible in trade talks as they approach the deadline, lets assume that the offers on the table for dairy at […]
Gordon Campbell on D-Day for dairy at the TPP
While New Zealand may feel flattered at being called “the Saudi Arabia of milk” it would be more accurate to regard us as the suicide […]
Gordon Campbell on the PM’s concessions about medicines and the TPP
So, on the eve of the last round of talks meant to finalise the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal, Prime Minister John Key has conceded […]
Gordon Campbell on the 1990s retro proposals for our health system
Reviews are under way that could transform the New Zealand health system into our very own version of the Eurozone, whereby DHBs that fail to […]
Gordon Campbell on the government’s dogged reluctance to condemn Serco
The refusal by Minister Sam Lotu-Liga to hold Serco accountable for the company’s failings in prison management is bad enough. Basically, this ingrained reluctance is […]
Gordon Campbell on the new bureaucratic tests facing solo parents
Offhand, its hard to think of a more cynical example of political opportunism than the requirement that solo parents will now need to re-apply for […]
Gordon Campbell on John Key trying to talk up our – and China’s – ailing economy
It wasn’t exactly Winston Churchill rallying the nation in 1940, but Prime Minister John Key chose to open his post-Cabinet press conference yesterday with a […]
Gordon Campbell on the plight of dairy, anti-Chinese sentiments and Pluto
Where now for dairy farmers? On RNZ this morning, Economic Development Minister Stephen Joyce was portraying the carnage of plunging global dairy prices, declining Fonterra […]