The Most Unlikely Trinity
Three politicians, one from National, one from Act, one from NZ First, walk into a bar. Sounds like the beginning of a joke, doesn’t it? The punchline, however, is that all three politicians walk out of that bar as the leaders of New Zealand’s next government.
Lobbyists helping and influencing the new National government
The last Labour government also welcomed corporate lobbyists into roles on the 9th floor of the Beehive.
A richly deserved honour
It’s not surprising that Massey acknowledges Prof Dutta’s international standing by publicising his many achievements on its website.
Should government departments be giving contracts to lobbying firms?
There needs to be further investigation into government agencies contracting firms that are involved in lobbying.
Wakey, wakey, mainstream media!
The rise of independent media challenges journalism’s staid bastions.
The 2023 Election in retrospect
This is where another layer of the 2023 election results becomes understandable: the surge in the Maori Party’s and the Greens’ seats.
Failing The “Leftist” Litmus Test
What is it then that permits those who self-identify as leftists to survey the horrors of 7 October 2023 and see only a glorious act of Palestinian resistance? How is it possible for those who cheered on Jacinda Ardern’s “politics of kindness” to absorb all the details of the rape, the torture, the killing – and not respond with fury and disgust?
Should we have a referendum on the Treaty?
As negotiations to form the next Government get under way in earnest, let’s hope that a referendum to define our political rights beyond any shadow of doubt is firmly on the agenda.
New Zealand needs a more working-class Parliament
Looking at the left, it’s unlikely that the Green Party can foster any sort of working-class politics, as their voting constituency is very much the professional managerial class.