Paul Melville: Tackling the cost-of-living crisis through comparative analysis

This election, the standout issue is the cost of living.

It’s all the focus groups want to talk about.

Petrol, food, insurance, electricity, rates. The cost of everything has gone up and something must be done.

Dr Oliver Hartwich: NZ shows how not to run a census

Two thousand years ago, according to St Luke, Emperor Augustus decreed that all the world should be registered. A carpenter and his pregnant wife walked from Nazareth to Bethlehem to comply. Evidently, the Romans had little trouble with their census response rate.

Ever since those times, countries have counted their populations. For those filling in the forms, it is a nuisance, to be sure. But governments need reliable figures to plan public services.

Dr Michael Johnston: Nothing endures but change

Last week, Labour announced its flagship education policy for the election. If it wins in November, it will introduce a new statutory authority, called the Independent Council for Curriculum and Assessment (ICCA). The New Zealand Principals' Federation first proposed the idea in August.

The ICCA would oversee future development of school curricula and national assessment systems. Labour’s education spokesperson Ginny Andersen said, “educational professionals should be determining what children learn and how they learn, not the minister of education.”

Dr Oliver Hartwich: Why we spoke up

Over the past couple of months, we have heard mounting alarm from business leaders about this election campaign. They are asking whether New Zealand still welcomes people willing to invest here. The concern comes from a broad range of industries.

Those conversations prompted an open letter, now signed by 51 business leaders. It asks all political parties to respect private property and the agreements people make.

Bruce Cotterill: Foodstuffs breakup plan - Why National’s supermarket policy is a disaster

The Four Square store has been with most of us for our entire lives. With its “Cheeky Charlie” Mr Four Square logo, complete with a grocer’s apron and a pencil behind his ear, excellent range and convenient location, it’s a New Zealand icon that has served us well.

Generations before mine would approach the counter at the front of the shop with a shopping list for the grocer, who would duly put together an order while the customer waited. Our generation saw “self-service” stores and an opportunity to wander the aisles and choose for ourselves.

Kerre Woodham: Are these election promises worth it to you?

The political parties have pressed go on their election campaigns and every morning from now until November 7th, we'll have a full smorgasbord of party promises to pick over. Lucky, lucky us.

Of course, most of them aren't worth the paper they're printed on. The minor parties have the luxury of promising you a pony and a castle and fairy bread for the rest of your life, then when it comes time to stump up after the election, they'll be all, "Oh, soz, we really wanted to, but those mean Nats/Labourites wouldn't let us. Sorry." So everything you hear, take with a grain of salt.

Bob Edlin: We are talking here about AI mischief at Stanford University.....

....but there are lessons for NZ media and our electoral laws

The name “Stanford” has popped up in a slew of news reports in this country in recent days, as Education Minister Erica Stanford wriggles her way – or tries to – through various controversies.

She and the Principals’ Federation president are firing insults at each other after she delivered a speech at a recent federation conference.

She is embroiled in controversy over Official Information Act issues (here and here).

David Farrar: ACT’s Waitangi Tribunal policy

ACT have released their policy on abolishing the Waitangi Tribunal once it has concluded the historical Treaty claims, and remove its jurisdiction. over contemporary issues.

Rodney Hide: Whatever they come up with

https://x.com/henrycooke/status/2103716319233511722?s=42

It took thirty seconds. Under a marquee, the Prime Minister was asked whether he agreed with the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Yeah," said Christopher Luxon. "We support the international rules-based system, so that means we support the ICC and the ICJ. And they are the right people to make those determinations. And that's why we support whatever they come up with."

Sunday September 27, 2026 

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Pee Kay: A vote for TOP is a vote for even more division!

In this video (below) Whangarei Tim clearly demonstrates why voters should think twice before ticking TOP on their ballot paper. At the heart of TOP’s election campaign is their highly contentious Land Tax. A policy that threatens to push asset-rich but cash-poor New Zealanders straight down “Struggle Street” under the weight of crushing new tax bills.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 27.9.26

Sunday September 27, 2026 

News:
NZ First vow to 'immediately abolish' Waitangi Tribunal if elected
New Zealand First has pledged to replace the Treaty of Waitangi Tribunal if elected, calling the board a "make-work organisation".

Speaking from Tauranga's Holy Trinity Church at a public meeting this afternoon, Winston Peters said the party would "immediately abolish" the tribunal, creating the Treaty of Waitangi Completion Commission as an alternative.

Ani O'Brien: A week is a long time: 26 September 2026

Just who is engaging in dirty politics?

After several days of breathless speculation and a launch that excited as many as 200 New Zealanders and the media, Nicky Hager finally released Dirty Work: The Taxpayers’ Union and New Zealand’s Hard Right. Like a dead cat whacked on the dining table the day before Parliament rose for the end of term, it was intended to impact the election.

Alwyn Poole: Two quick education notes.

1. More good news on attendance now that Term 2 2026 data is official.

“Nationally, 64.3% of students met the criteria for regular attendance (present more than
90% of the term). This is an increase of 5.9 percentage points from Term 2 2025.”

69.5% was the pre-covid high (2015) and it is very good to see the trend going in the right direction.

Bob Edlin: Maori Party announces a pot of gold....

.....or rather, $66m a year – for a new commission at the end of the rainbow

If you think it’s great to learn something that extends your vocabulary, read on.

Then again, maybe it’s not a new word for you, and the writer of this article will be exposing himself as a bloke who hasn’t been paying attention to something which was incorporated long ago in media reports along with a raft of other te reo words.

Centrist: Wealth tax wins 64% support....

.....with a $10m threshold and family homes excluded

Despite the debate over tax policy, only 8% identified taxation among the country’s top concerns.

Almost two-thirds of respondents support a wealth tax targeting individual net assets above $10 million while exempting family homes, according to new Ipsos polling.

Guest Post: Can governments really force people to save more?....

......Do Australians save more than Kiwis?

A guest post on Kiwiblog by Michael Littlewood:

It’s difficult to compare countries’ retirement income systems but, in a new report, I have tried, as I describe the differences and similarities between New Zealand and Australia. We hear a great deal about Australia, probably because most of our financial service providers are Australian-owned and their own incomes reflect funds under their management.

David Lillis: Shakespeare in our Curriculum

The New Curriculum

The ongoing work on education under Erica Stanford has come in for a great deal of criticism over the last few months especially. The new curriculum has received particular censure, and the compulsory inclusion of Shakespeare in the English curriculum seems to have presented issues for some parties (Lillis, 2025). Indeed, New Zealand needs a balanced curriculum that reflects the multicultural nature of our society and therefore of our primary and secondary students, and surely a Eurocentric curriculum for New Zealand would be ill-posed and therefore completely unacceptable.

Javier Milei: Address to the UN

His Excellency Javier Milei, President of the Argentine Republic, Address to the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York, September 23, 2026

Today I address you for the third time as President of all Argentines.

David Farrar: Labour committed to bribing the media

 

The Post reports:

Labour’s leader Chris Hipkins has committed to reviving the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill, which has been left languishing on Parliament’s order paper since 2024, and said the party will campaign on it at the election.