On the World Cup, and the media’s buy-in to the national mood of elation
Well, New Zealand made a splash in the Fifa World Cup coverage yesterday – and I don’t mean via the draw with Italy. No, the […]
Media
On the Iraq election, and the attacks on Andrew Williams
So Iyad Allawi’s secular Sunni coalition has won the most seats in the Iraqi elections. While the mainstream media from the New York Times to […]
On the Phil Heatley saga,and more on low budget films
Image from nznationalparty’s photostream – On board the NUShip Perth Normally when there is a personal cloud over a Minister, they would stand down and/or […]
On Trevor Mallard’s big day, and the Film Commission’s new low budget film scheme
Normally, Trevor Mallard is not renowned for his subtlety, yet his stealth attack on Education Minister yesterday in the House was a stone classic. First, […]
On why free trade with the US is more Monty Python than Holy Grail
Perhaps we can all quietly sign a pact to forego comparing a free trade deal with the US to the quest for the Holy Grail. […]
On the government’s clueless response to unemployment and why Mike Moore shouldn’t go to Washington
Well, we’re now seeing some of the fruits of small government, and having government butt out of our lives. Unemployment rose to 7.3 % during […]
Gordon Campbell on the SAS in Kabul, and the media’s duty to report on their actions
The saga of media coverage of the SAS in Afghanistan took another turn on the weekend with National MP Eric Roy bizarrely blaming Helen Clark […]
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 […]
Peter Jackson, and the alleged need to keep up with the Australian film industry
Peter Jackson is expected to deliver his ministerial review on the New Zealand Film Commission to Arts Minister Chris Finlayson just before Christmas, and its […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Harawira junket, and Sean Plunket
At least the coalition government has shown itself to be united this week – it seems intent on junketing at taxpayer expense across a broad […]
Managing the Press Gallery, and Afghanistan
Click for big version As a free fire exercise in which anything at all can be raised, the Prime Minister’s post Cabinet press conference should […]
The RWC resolution, and ACC changes
So the outcome of the Rugby World Cup fiasco is a reversion to sanity – one bid only, involving Maori Television, TVNZ and TV3. In […]
The Rugby World Cup bids
There seem to be two Rugby World Cups taking place in 2011. One is an absolutely splendid affair being overseen by RWC Minister Murray McCully […]
Tim Groser’s battle with the Wall Street Journal, and the Obama Peace Prize
Ouch. The main media byproduct of the recent Tim Groser march on Washington seems to have been this nasty editorial in the Wall Street Journal […]
Gordon Campbell: The Sian Elias speech about crime
The recent speech by Chief Justice Sian Elias may have been greeted with some – sensational headlines – “Top Judge Suggests Prison Amnesty” – and […]
The bogus benefits of PPPs
Occasionally, someone in business lets the cat out of the bag in a way that is impossible to satirise. Thus in the NZ Herald this […]
Gordon Campbell on Peter Jackson’s review of the Film Commission
The selection of Peter Jackson to lead the ministerial review of the New Zealand Film Commission guarantees the review a prominence that no-one else in […]
John Key’s Zen press conference, and Iran’s stolen election
Faced with the dying embers of the Richard Worth scandal at his press conference yesterday (audio & report, video), John Key reached for gasoline, not […]
On censorship – bring back Worth!
Click to enlarge One downside of Richard Worth’s exit from his ministerial post at Internal Affairs will be to further postpone any fix of the […]
The Tiananmen Massacre, and Richard Worth
Today is the 20th anniversary of the massacre in Tiananmen Square. In the early morning hours of June 4th 1989, thousands of unarmed students and […]
On Fiji And Its Critics
Oh dear. In the black and white universe in which the likes of No Right Turn reside, I’m now allegedly a supporter of despotism for […]
WINZ and food banks, and Fiji
[For Fiji click here] A few months ago, Scoop asked Paula Bennett at John Key’s post-Cabinet press conference whether she saw a pressing need – […]
The pre-ordained demise of Auckland
Barely five months into the Key administration, the centre right is plainly making far more effective use of its ideological bedmates than Labour ever did […]
Spies in Parliament, the Rugby World Cup and the privatization of TVNZ
So, as Scoop recommended six weeks ago, the SIS is to be told to close its files on sitting MPs. Paul Neazor, the SIS Inspector-General, […]
Campbell: Power's reluctance to cap energy prices, and TVNZ Job Losses
Obviously, any Minister will try to dodge getting involved in a no win situation if they can help it, and the old ‘that’s an operational […]
Campbell: Power’s reluctance to cap energy prices, and TVNZ Job Losses
Obviously, any Minister will try to dodge getting involved in a no win situation if they can help it, and the old ‘that’s an operational […]
Our Dependence On Australia; Tax Cuts; TVNZ
Click to enlarge One bonus of being a branch office of the Australian economy is that we can shelter at times in the shade of […]
On The Gaza Ceasefire, And Its Aftermath
On The Gaza Ceasefire, And Its Aftermath By Gordon Campbell The carnage in Gaza has ended in a unilateral ceasefire. Israel has called a halt […]