Gordon Campbell on the death of library browsing
For many of us, the word “library” has comfortable connotations. It suggests rows of books in which to browse, make discoveries and pass them on […]
Local Government
Gordon Campbell on Auckland’s ghastly mayor, and the water reforms
By crikey, once Wayne Brown finds out who was in charge of the city during Auckland’s anniversary foods, I bet they’ll cop an earful. So […]
Gordon Campbell on National’s “do nothing” alternative to Three Waters
There are sound economic reasons (and equally good reasons to do with social equality) why the Three Waters scheme would centralise water management into four […]
Gordon Campbell on the case for nationalising our urban bus services
When it comes to funding and managing public transport, should local government or central government bear most of the responsibility for delivering a quality service? […]
Gordon Campbell on why Three Waters is a good idea worth supporting
If anyone needs a fresh reminder of the value of state broadcasting, yesterday’s interview about the Three Waters reforms between RNZ’s Kathryn Ryan and Local […]
Gordon Campbell on a superb new book on the leaky homes scandal, and Cowboy Bebop
The real value of Dyer’s book lies in how thoroughly he has unpicked all the various factors that came together to turn this entirely preventable disaster into an inevitability.
Gordon Campbell on what’s wrong with Wellington
It hasn’t been the normal hardships – central government and lousy weather – that have recently pushed Wellingtonians’ tolerance into the red zone.
Gordon Campbell on how the drinking water crisis has been a failure of political leadership
For the past nine years, there has been a political culture of absentee government, where almost any regulatory action that involved spending money fell out of favour.
Gordon Campbell on Havelock North’s water issues, and extreme vetting
Having belatedly advised Havelock North about the pollution of their water supply, local authorities seem to prematurely see light at the end of the tunnel
Gordon Campbell on our underfunded Syrian refugee intake, and dairy industry carnage
Once again, our little show pony Prime Minister is prancing around the world offering to take in refugees – from Syria, from Nauru – while […]
Gordon Campbell on Paula Bennett’s fantasy politics and Iran
We seem to be living in an era of virtual government, where governments promote only an illusion of policy kapow! rather than the sort of […]
Gordon Campbell on MP pay rises, and the Paris agreement
Somehow, the ‘need” for belt tightening – or of stemming the rise in income inequality – just goes right out the window at this time […]
Gordon Campbell On Turkey And Russia
So why did Turkey shoot down that Russian plane? According to the Russian president Dmitri Medvedev, it was all about Turkey (a) being hand in […]
Gordon Campbell on the Phil Goff mayoral candidacy
What is about the centre right in Auckland? There they are, in the citadel of commerce, and yet they’re routinely unable to put up a […]
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 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 Reserve Bank’s call to arms about the Auckland housing crisis
The ‘crisis – what crisis?’ response by the government to the Auckland housing price bubble is no longer acceptable. So says Reserve Bank governor Grant […]
Gordon Campbell on the America’s Cup, and Lee Marvin
Like the Commonwealth Games, the America’s Cup is one of those large sporting events that is struggling to find anyone foolish enough to want to […]
Gordon Campbell on the Maori “separatism” bogey
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 […]
Gordon Campbell on the Lyttleton executive pay scandal, and more TPP problems
It isn’t often that one story can encapsulate (a) the bogus rhetoric used to justify sky-high pay packages for top executives, (b) the unequal way […]
Gordon Campbell on muzzling the Ruataniwha dam evidence
In case anyone still questions the value of our public investment in state radio, the revelations about the Ruataniwha dam project – which began with […]
Capital at the Crossroads
An interview with Wellington mayor Celia Wade-Brown
On the Greens housing proposals, and Pita Sharples
In the wake of David Shearer’s Labour party conference speech last year, housing policy has become a crunch test of how well each political party […]
On the crisis in affordable housing
The lack of affordable housing, as Finance Minister Bill English conceded last year, is an example of market failure, and in this Q&A transcript English […]
Gordon Campbell on Key. Ethics and Banks
Article – Gordon Campbell Disclosure rules exist in local body legislation for the public’s benefit, not the benefit of politicians. Yet the explicit message from […]
Gordon Campbell on the John Banks vs Kim Dotcom saga
Article – Gordon Campbell Click for original version. Cartoon by Martin Doyle Is it too soon to start talking about the curse of the Act […]
On the dubious economic case for the Auckland convention centre
For now, Labour and the Greens are not opposing the convention centre in Auckland per se, but are asking for the tendering process to be […]
On Gerry Brownlee, the Christchurch recovery and Jafar Panahi
Famously, Winston Churchill once described one of his American political allies as being “the only bull I know who carries his own china shop around […]
On the local government reforms
Clearly, centre-right governments dislike Big Government only when it isn’t their brand of government. When it is, many of the democratic brakes get removed, quick […]
On today’s protest march in Christchurch
Reading meaning into the utterances of Christchurch mayor Bob Parker is always a risky business, but Parker’s comment to the Press the other day that […]