On The Hobbit finale
Great. The Hobbit stays here. Everyone’s happy about that – you, me, John Key, Robyn Malcolm…we’re all so very happy, at least until we look […]
Legal Issues
Gordon Campbell on the trade unions vs Peter Jackson wrangle over 'The Hobbit'.
If the production of The Hobbit does finally move to eastern Europe, it would not be because of the actors’ wage bill or any fresh […]
On taking away the right to vote from prisoners, and John Key’s latest slur on MMP
Click for big version For the last few months a silly and spiteful private members Bill sponsored by National MP Paul Quinn has been working […]
On the draconian Christchurch Earthquake legislation
Come back Frank Bainimarama, all is forgiven. As of last night, New Zealand has surrendered the moral high ground from which to could denounce the […]
On Peter Dunne’s review of child support
In his comments this morning about his planned review of the child support legislation, Revenue Minister Peter Dunne is showing every sign of just tinkering […]
On the South Canterbury Finance bailout
Like the war in Iraq, there doesn’t seem to have been an exit strategy for the Retail Deposit Guarantee Scheme – and the extension of […]
On the government’s selective targeting of young drinkers
Frontispiece of Hobbes’ “Leviathan”. How times change. Only a couple of years ago, New Zealand was allegedly beset with Nanny Statism because the Clark government […]
On the appointing of Zaoui’s tormenter to investigate complaints against the Police
There’s no success like failure, as Bob Dylan once pointed out, and failure is no success at all. A reward for failure is the only […]
On the despicable decision on blood alcohol driving limits
Yesterday’s non-decision on the alcohol limit has underlined once again that the Key government is not interested in governing for the benefit of New Zealand […]
On the Waihopai ‘Claim of Right’ Defence, and Arming the Police
Jump to ‘Reduce Violence : Arm the Police. Yeah, right.’ Usually when the public feels outraged by an acquittal in a high profile trial, the […]
On John Key getting us mixed up in Australia’s problems with asylum seekers
Click for big version Asylum seekers? We’ve been here before under a National-led government. In 1999, the then-Immigration Minister Tuariki Delamere used the spectre of […]
On Julia Gillard, and Simon Power
Julia Gillard’s ascent to the top job in Australia will face its first major policy test in the next fortnight, as she will have to […]
Gordon Campbell on the foreshore and seabed deal, and Gaza blockade
By Gordon Campbell The Maori Party seems to have won few immediate and tangible benefits from its long awaited deal on the foreshore and seabed […]
On a solution for the Ministerial spending scandal, and for child poverty
The litmus test in the Ministerial expenses scandal is what would happen to an ordinary employee who repeatedly misused the company or departmental credit card […]
On privatizing water, and the SAS in Afghanistan
Local Government Minister Rodney Hide continues to pursue his vocation in life, of turning public assets into profit centres for the private sector. The amendment […]
On the missing-in-action Jackson film review, and the new benefit policy
I know Peter Jackson is a busy guy, but where oh where is his review of the New Zealand Film Commission? There was no hard […]
On the Waihopai Three Verdict, and East Jerusalem
2008 Image: Ploughshares Penetrate Waihopai Base Deflate Dome The acquittal of the Waihopai Three for their attack on the Waihopai spy base is as welcome […]
On the Economics of Mining DOC Land
Click to enlarge At yesterday’s Post cabinet press conference [video], Prime Minister John Key repeated the government’s current defensive position on the proposal to extend […]
On the government’s environmental credibility problems in Canterbury, and attacks on Police
Click to enlarge Reportedly, Ronald Reagan’s aides would go into in panic mode whenever the avuncular President started to ad lib a few additional points […]
Gordon Campbell on the government's tolerance of white collar crime
This government takes a crush ’em and crate ’em approach to crime – unless that is, the offender happens to be wearing a tie. In […]
On the ‘Three Strikes’ Policy and the SAS in Kabul
Click to enlarge In the Book of Leviticus, God takes a no nonsense, zero tolerance approach to offending. Curse your parents, or let your child […]
On the monarchy, and Keith Locke’s mechanism for replacing it
Click for big version Prince William And The Governor General Anand Satyanand. Photography by Woolf – www.woolf.co.nz Flexibility is an essential feature of the modern […]
On whether people should be able to burn the flag at Anzac Day
Click to enlarge Any masochist who wants to feel depressed about the state of the New Zealand judiciary needs only to turn to Justice Terence […]
On how The Lovely Bones affects the credibility of Peter Jackson’s Film Commission review, and on other bombs
Click for big version More Images from The Lovely Bones premiere in Wellington. Co-incidentally, just as Arts Minister Chris Finlayson readies himself to release Peter […]
Anne Tolley’s last stand, and those abusive mayoral texts
Education Minister Anne Tolley is painting herself into a dangerous corner by threatening to sack the boards of trustees at any primary schools still refusing […]
Margaret Bazley’s attacks on legal aid
The ‘gone by lunchtime’ response to legal aid that the Key government has chosen to adopt in the wake of Margaret Bazley report needs to […]
Phil Goff and the race card
Click to enlarge Playing the race card is one of those claims that is meant to shut down any further debate, and Phil Goff knew […]
Putting the 9/11 Terrorists on Trial
Click to enlarge For years, human rights advocates have argued that terrorism is essentially criminal behaviour, and terrorists should therefore be tried under the rules […]
The selective targeting of Beenie Man
Reportedly, Big Day Out organizers have backed down from their original intention to include the Jamaican dancehall musician Beenie Man in the next BDO festival […]
The powers of search and surveillance
Does the Search and Surveillance Bill, as the NZ Herald has recently maintained, really give a web of state agencies ‘sweeping powers to spy, bug […]