Insights From Social Media: The He Puapua road map

PB adds to Geoff Parker’s post (bolding emphasis added):

What Waatea News is producing here is not analysis of 2025. It is a maintenance narrative — a story designed to protect institutional arrangements at the point they are being democratically wound back.

The structure is familiar and closely follows the He Puapua road map, as articulated by Claire Charters and advanced in practice by Lady Tureiti Moxon.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 28.12.25

Sunday December 28, 2025 

News:
Rāhui in place for part of Tongariro National Park after death
The local hapū, Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro, has placed a rāhui on the Taranaki Falls and Tama Lakes tracks until 6am on Tuesday 30 December.

To show respect, all hikers in the area were asked to consider using alternative tracks during the rāhui.

Matua Kahurangi: Another rāhui, this time for a natural death on a walking track

Firstly, I am sorry to hear that someone lost their life while walking the Taranaki Falls Track. My thoughts are with their family and loved ones. A sudden death on a popular walking track is tragic, and it deserves compassion, dignity, and respect.

However, it needs to be said. Why on earth is a rāhui needed when someone passes away from natural causes?

Ani O'Brien: Marc Daalder writes opinion, not journalism

Marc Daalder’s ideological tantrum, complete with foot stamp, begins with the headline,“Cabinet overrode health advice”. It tells you from the outset that Cabinet have been naughty! It takes a normal feature of democratic government (elected ministers making decisions!) and reframes it as scandal, as though unelected officials are supposed to govern and elected politicians are an unfortunate interference.

Laurie Wastell: US Launches Airstrikes on Islamic State in Nigeria to Protect “Innocent Christians”

The Trump administration has launched airstrikes on Islamic State in north-west Nigeria in coordination with Nigerian authorities, killing multiple militants. While Nigeria insists the strikes had “nothing to do with a particular religion”, President Trump railed against “Isis terrorist scum… who have been targeting… innocent Christians”. The Times has the story.

Marcelo R Santos: What if we taxed what people spend, not what they earn?

When people talk about tax fairness, the focus is almost always on income. How much the rich earn, how heavily that income should be taxed, and how to make sure lower earners are protected. But there is an older idea that is quietly starting to get attention again. What if taxes were based not on what people earn, but on what they spend?

Dr Kevin Donnelly: How the Frankfurt School Captured the Culture – and How to Fight Back

Conservatives have too often failed to realise that “politics is downstream from culture”. So argued Douglas Murray in a recent obituary of the late Peter Whittle, founder of the New Culture Forum (NCF), following the adage popularised by the late American journalist Andrew Breitbart, himself the founder of Breitbart News. “Too many conservatives for far too long felt the crucial battles were about economics”, Murray writes. “The NCF founder helped to correct that error.”

Melanie Phillips: American conservatism and “the Jewish Question”

Astonishingly, it looks as if “the Jewish question” — that perennial antisemitic canard — is becoming the hinge issue that will determine the course of American politics.

The Democratic Party and the left in general now promote an increasingly virulent hostility toward Israel and a corresponding embrace of Islamist and black extremism, leading to rising attacks on American Jews.

David Farrar: Auckland Uni gets it right

The Auckland University Freedom of Expression Statement looks very good. It is clear with few weasel words. Key extracts:

The University actively fosters and supports lawful and constructive debate by its staff and students on any topic, including with the participation of external speakers invited by a staff member, or a recognised student association or student club.

 Saturday December 27, 2025 

                    ⇩

Geoff Parker: A Narrative of Perpetual Betrayal Isn’t Evidence

Waatea News’ end-of-year lament paints 2025 as a dark age for Māori/Crown relations. But strip away the rhetoric and what remains is not evidence of oppression, it is the frustration of activist elites seeing their policy influence reduced.

The claim that Māori rights are “under serious threat” relies almost entirely on two assertions: that Māori-specific institutions and funding streams are inherently protective of Māori wellbeing, and that scaling them back constitutes discrimination. Neither claim withstands scrutiny.

David Farrar: Observations from the Kāinga Ora Chair

Simon Moutter is the Chair of Kāinga Ora, formerly known as Housing NZ. He sent the e-mail below to a few acquaintances of his, and one forwarded it onto me. With permission, I am blogging it below because I think it is such a good and interesting read.

Matua Kahurangi: Terror propaganda, No prison, permanent anonymity - Welcome to New Zealand justice

Firstly, I hope everyone had a great Christmas with their family and friends. I didn’t think I would write anything until after the 5th January when I return to the swing of things, but an article titled “Auckland man caught with footage of Isis beheadings, murders, terror group promo material” caught my eye and the more I read, the more concerned I was.

JC: Is Today the Day?

These are powerful words, at least they are to me. They are powerful in so many different contexts. I came across them some time ago and again recently. Both times I heard them, they were in speeches made by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, in the Trump administration. On both occasions she was telling the story of how she came upon them.

 Friday December 26, 2025 

                    ⇩

Best of 2025: Ryan Bridge - The Gen Z stare

I went out for lunch to a café the other day and our table was served by a couple of waiters who all seemed to have a similar vibe about them.

They just. Did. Not. Seem. To. Care.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 21.12.25

Friday December 26, 2025 

News:
Court of Appeal: Māori Land Court cannot rule on Porotī Springs water
A long‑running effort by hapū trustees to have their customary rights to Porotī Springs legally recognised has hit another hurdle, with the Court of Appeal ruling their claims must instead be taken to the High Court.

Ani O'Brien: Will NZ-India trade deal survive NZ Parliament?

The announcement that came yesterday of a much-worked-for trade deal with India is a big deal for New Zealand. It is also, like everything in the world of politics in 2025, wrapped in a complex set of conflicting interests that could see it killed off in Parliament.

This is a trade deal with interesting political ramifications more so back home in New Zealand than between the two countries, though as usual there are plenty there too. Despite negotiations with India being a real longterm challenge for successive governments, the real story here is not tariffs, schedules, or annexes. It is coalition disagreement, parliamentary arithmetic, and two-thirds of the Coalition Government discovering that its biggest foreign-policy trophy may only survive if the opposition decides to carry it across the line.

David Farrar: A good critique

David Harvey has a good critique of the proposed social media ban for under 16s. I certainly support the intent that we should keep under 16s off social media. The linkage to poor mental health outcomes is incredibly powerful – especially for girls.

DTNZ: Trump says Greenland is ‘vital’ to U.S. national security interests

U.S. President Donald Trump has defended his renewed push for control over Greenland, arguing the Arctic island is essential to America’s national security following the appointment of a special US envoy to the territory.

Trump said Greenland’s strategic position makes it critical as Russian and Chinese vessels increasingly operate in the region, insisting the US “has to have it” for security reasons.