Simon O'Connor: A lost opportunity

The Royal Commission report into Covid was an opportunity for people's voices to be heard. Sadly, it has failed, preferencing power over humanity.

When people are hurt or feel an injustice has been done to them, one of the ways to assist the healing process is to ensure they have been heard and listened to. Importantly, they need to see and hear that they’ve been heard.

I recall one person coming into my electorate office early on in my parliamentary career with a rather complex and fraught situation, and as they spoke my mind was racing as to what I could do to solve the issue. As they finished and were about to leave, I frankly admitted that I did not know what could be done but that I would consider further. Their reply has always stayed with me – “Oh, I know there is nothing you can do, but I wanted to talk and be heard. And I was, thank you.”

Mike's Minute: The worst week for Trump's war

Obviously Chris Hipkins would disagree, but Donald Trump surely wins the "crap week of the week" award, given his week has material outcomes for all of us and Hipkins’ is just a personal mess gone ugly and public.

The war itself doesn’t appear to be any different at the end of week three than it was at the end of week two, or indeed week one.

Chris Lynch: Seymour rules out GST on fuel, dismisses focus on Hipkins’ private life

Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour has defended the Government’s response to rising fuel prices, warning against intervention and rejecting calls to cut GST, during an extended interview in Christchurch.

Speaking to chrislynchmedia.com while visiting the city, Seymour said global supply disruptions were behind rising prices, despite assurances from officials fuel supplies remained stable.

Gary Judd KC: Human rights - are they real?

Or are they just a gift of the government?

Roy, a commenter on my Lessons from Iran, says there is no such thing as human rights: “Human rights are given and allowed by Governments.”

This introduces a deep philosophical/legal question with profound implications. If Roy is right, it means that the Iranian people do not have the right to life or liberty because the government of Iran has not given and allowed them to have those rights. By way of an opposite example, it also means that New Zealanders have those rights only because the government has given them to us or allowed us to have them.

Dr Oliver Hartwich: Hormuz crisis may force government reform

When oil prices spiked after the Strait of Hormuz closed, New Zealand’s ministers lined up to reassure the public. Fuel stocks were “healthy.” There was “no need for panic.” The associate energy minister assured New Zealanders that supplies were not under threat “in coming months.”

What the ministers did not dwell on is that government agencies are now briefing them daily on supply disruptions extending well beyond petrol. A fifth of New Zealand’s fertiliser imports come from Saudi Arabia, shipped through the strait that is now closed. For a country whose economy runs on grass-fed agriculture, a fertiliser shock in autumn is no small matter.

Dr Eric Crampton: Let fuel prices rise and do their job

No fuel was available where I lived on the east side of Christchurch immediately after the 2011 earthquake. Power was out. Petrol pumps do not operate well without it.

The west side of town was still running. But the earthquake had also damaged the pipeline bringing fuel from the terminal at Lyttelton Harbour, and power outages were an issue.

More fuel was coming. Tanker trucks were heading up from points south and would haul supply up to Christchurch. It would just take a few days.

But things went wrong.

Bob Edlin: Co-governance and Central Districts water services.............

Co-governance and Central Districts water services – but can we talk of an “experienced board” when it has yet to meet?

Remember Steve Maharey?

Elected to Parliament for the first time in 1990, he was Minister of Social Development and Employment (from 1999 to 2005) and Minister of Education (from 2005 to 2007) in the days when Helen Clark was Prime Minister.

Wikipedia recalls that in April 2007, Maharey came under criticism for saying ‘fuck you’ in parliamentary question time on 4 April. But fair to say, it does record other accomplishments.

He retired from Parliament at the 2008 general election to become vice-chancellor at Massey University and later served on the Pharmac and ACC boards.

This – we may suppose – is why the Horowhenua District Council regards him as an experienced director.

PoO’s attention was drawn to the appointment when we spotted a press release headed

Experienced Board Appointed For Central Districts Water.

But this can’t be an experienced board (we reckoned) because it has only just been appointed.

Experienced appointees – maybe.

An experienced board – no.

It hasn’t even met yet.

Board chair Steve Maharey acknowledged this by saying the Board’s immediate focus is on supporting the establishment work already underway and ensuring the organisation is well prepared for the responsibilities it will take on in 2027.

“The next stage of work is about building a strong and capable organisation and working closely with councils, iwi, staff and our communities across the three districts. We will meet in person for the first time after Easter, and that will include meeting Elected Members from the three councils, key government officials involved in water reform, and staff involved in water services in the three districts. Our role is to ensure Central Districts Water is set up well from the start so it can deliver reliable, and efficient water services for the communities it serves.”

Delving beyond the headline which brayed about an experienced board, PoO learned of co-governance at work in the region where the board will do its thing.

Horowhenua District Council, Palmerston North City Council, Rangitīkei District Council and Ngā Tapuwae o Hau have taken another significant step toward establishing Central Districts Water, confirming the appointment of an experienced independent board to govern the new organisation.

Central Districts Water is a jointly owned council-controlled organisation that will deliver drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services across the three districts from 1 July next year.

Ngā Tapuwae o Hau is a working group formed by the collective iwi across the three council regions to represent them.

Seventy-eight people applied to join the Central Districts Water Board. Interviews were undertaken by representatives of the Shareholders’ Committee.

The full Shareholders’ Committee, made up of the mayors, elected members and representatives from Ngā Tapuwae o Hau, met on Friday and appointed the board.

The committee will now work with the board to set expectations and support the establishment of Central Districts Water.

The press statement gives this information about the board members:

Hon Steve Maharey, CNZM (Chair) has extensive governance experience across Central and Local Government as well as internationally. He is a former Vice-Chancellor of Massey University, Senior Cabinet Minister, Member of Parliament for Palmerston North, Palmerston North City Councillor and academic.

Dr Sue Bidrose has served as Chief Executive of both Dunedin City Council and AgResearch and holds governance roles across commercial, financial services and public sector organisations.

Dave Chambers is the former Chief Executive of Watercare Services and former Managing Director of Progressive Enterprises (Countdown/Woolworths New Zealand), bringing more than 40 years’ experience leading large, complex and customer-focused organisations.

Jon Nichols is a professional director with extensive experience across regulated infrastructure, energy and public-sector assurance, including governance roles with electricity networks, airports and ports.

Linda Robertson is an experienced professional director and board chair with deep expertise in governance, audit and risk, financial markets and investment oversight, holding governance roles across energy, banking and large investment organisations.

Pahia Turia is an experienced iwi and asset governance leader with more than 25 years’ involvement across post-settlement governance, primary industries and regional economic development, including as Chair of Te Ohu Kaimoana.

Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.

David Farrar: Critical minerals

The Herald reports:

Dr Isabelle Chambefort, general manager – energy at Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly GNS Science), makes it clear minerals have always been critical.

“Humanity has been developed around mining.

Friday March 20, 2026 

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Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Is there a bright side to all the bad economic news?

I’m sorry to say it’s a bit of a bad day - a day of rather unpleasant economic news, I’m afraid.

Let’s start with the GDP number. It came in at 0.2 percent for the final quarter of last year, which is very much at the low end of expectations. We were looking for something in the range of 0.2 percent to 0.5 percent, with 0.5 percent being the Reserve Bank’s forecast.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 14.3.26

Friday March 20, 2026 

News:
Taxpayers’ Union Backs NPDC Mayor For Halting $1m Hapū Deal
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is backing New Plymouth District Council Mayor Max Brough for pausing a proposed service level agreement reportedly worth close to $1 million with Puketapu Hapū.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

Dr James Allan: What’s So Great About Diversity?

‘Diversity is our strength.’ One hears this, or myriad variants of the same idea, unrelentingly. Certainly I work in an Australian university where the extent of higher-ups pushing this notion does indeed qualify as unrelenting, even matching totalitarian state levels of propaganda. But even outside the hallowed halls of impartial, politically balanced academia (did I write that with a straight face?) the mantra or cliché that diversity somehow delivers a stronger balance sheet or a more cohesive society or just better outcomes is pervasive in today’s democracies that have committed themselves to multiculturalism and to the various neo-Marxist versions of feminism. Sure, those spouting these ‘diversity is a panacea’ nostrums never cash out the claim. They never tell us precisely how ‘diversity’ is making society better or wealthier or more unified. We are all just supposed to take it on faith, as it were. We’re just to believe the bureaucratic, political and various professional bodies’ elites who push this line, and believe it simply because they are the ones telling us it’s so.

Dave Patterson: Trump Wants Help Securing the Strait of Hormuz

Securing and keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is a key objective of the war against Iran. It’s a big job that requires the suppression of Iranian anti-ship missiles and drones and the destruction of Iran’s capability to produce more such weapons. Though the United States is capable of doing the job, other countries, particularly those in Europe and NATO, have an interest in ensuring the strait remains secure. Consequently, President Donald Trump is asking for assistance in protecting ships transiting the Hormuz Strait. Initially, he received a cool reception.

Graham Adams: Media Campaign Against Luxon Risks Backfiring

Barristers often warn their juniors of the dangers of excessively badgering or humiliating a witness in court. There is always the risk that the jury’s sympathy will shift sharply towards the witness if they are suddenly seen as a victim of bullying.  

The media may be making a similar error in their attacks on Christopher Luxon, which many voters will see as going well beyond reasonable political criticism. In fact, some media outlets are making themselves look recklessly partisan in what appears to be an attempt to unseat the Prime Minister and reduce the chances of a National-led government returning to power in November.

Mike's Minute: Further proof the taxpayer poll was an outlier

Does the Talbot Mills poll out yesterday blow wide open the overt and corrupt actions of the parts of the media that went to town last week, and the week before, on the Prime Minister?

Does the Talbot Mills poll out yesterday with National on 32% also build on evidence that they are not 28%, nor were they ever 28%, therefore there was never a need to go to town last week, and the week before, on the Prime Minister?

Kerre Woodham: At what point does it become unaffordable to work?

To me, what is news is the fact that there are so many people who are working vital jobs, who are doing incredibly important work like our home support workers, and they are really struggling because of the petrol prices. That to me is news, and that to me is something we can do something about. That is going to impact us all as petrol prices surge past three bucks a litre. Sky appears to be the limit. It's going to impact all of us, even the EV drivers who'll end up paying more for anything that's delivered by road. But it's the people like the home support workers who rely on their own cars and fuel to visit their clients that you worry about. It's particularly tough.

Bob Edlin: Māori activists are buoyed by decision to drop Treaty vandalism charges....

Māori activists are buoyed by decision to drop Treaty vandalism charges – but Te Papa prefers to stay stum

An outfit called Te Waka Hourua issued a press statement to welcome a court’s dismissal of all charges against someone named Te Wehi Ratana “for action taken At Te Papa In ’23”.

Action?

That’s one word for it.

Blatant vandalism is another.

David Farrar: An outrageous legal complaint decision overturned

An Area Standards Committee of the Law Society fined Stephen Franks and Franks Ogilvy for, well being lawyers. They sent a letter on behalf of their client to health professionals involved in “gender affirming care”.

The ASC found that they had “used a legal process for an improper purpose”, censured them and fined them.

David Farrar: Desperation from Labour

A journalist asked Nicola Willis whether she would advise people to “ease back on the accelerator” or consider working from home due to higher petrol prices.

Nicola explicitly said she was “very reluctant to adopt the role of the schoolma’am telling people what to do with their own lives”. She went on to say that people will make their own choices based on their circumstances. That NZers are sensible. So she was explicitly saying, no she won’t tell people what to do.

Thursday March 19, 2026 

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