Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Do Labour's complaints about early voting stand up to scrutiny?

Okay, you want to know what a party sounds like when it's preparing to lose an election? Check out Labour.

They've started to ramp up their complaints about so-called voter suppression. Now, to be fair, this is not a new complaint. It's been going on all campaign. It goes back more than a year. But it really went up a level with Ayesha Verrall complaining that the first day of voting would fall on a public holiday and that "it's all adding up".

Ryan Bridge: Will the US midterms matter more to Kiwis than our own election?

Odds are on we'll get another hike to the OCR tomorrow.

That'll take us to 3%.

Markets are pricing the chance of that hike happening at about 85%.

NZCPR POLITICAL PARTY CLIMATE POLICY 2026

Executive Summary

The 2026 election presents New Zealanders with a stark choice over climate and environmental policy. The political blocs are divided not just on emissions targets and regulatory settings, but on the fundamental question of whether climate policy should prioritise economic growth and scientific realism, or aggressive emissions reduction, regulatory expansion, and ideological transformation.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 25.10.26

Wednesday October 28, 2026 

News:
Iwi demand answers over potential LNG operations in Marlborough Sounds
Iwi at the top of the South Island want a “please explain” from the Government after revelations its proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) import project could involve operations in the Marlborough Sounds.

Ani O'Brien: The case for saving Chris Bishop

A Parliament without Chris Bishop would be a worse Parliament

You may have heard about “The Overhang” which looms large over this election campaign. If not, you can read what I wrote a few weeks ago on the situation. In any case, because of the potential overhang that will be created by National having more electorate seats than their party vote entitles them to, they will most likely not take any list MPs into Parliament. That means senior National MPs Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, and Gerry Brownlee would lose their seats. Unless those standing in electorates win their seats.

Pee Kay: The Maorification Virus

A Satirical look at New Zealand Politics, 2017 – 2026

Part 1 Who will save Democracy?

On 26th October, 2017 a hitherto unheard-of virus entered New Zealand.

Democracy didn’t know it but it was to become the key target of this previously obscure and outlandish contagion.

By mid to late 2018 it was becoming obvious to many that Democracy was definitely the target of the virus and, worse still, Democracy had actually been infected.

Peter Williams: Election Fortnight begins

Why can’t we just do it on the day?

And so we’re away.

We don’t have Election Day. We have Election Fortnight. It’s quite ridiculous really.

The candidates can campaign for the next 12 days, but not on the 13th, November 7th.

Guest Post: Tactical voting

The MMP electoral system can be problematic — but, with a good understanding of its nature, there is a way for the National Party coalition government to be more assured of being reelected; and at the same time, give ACT and NZ First more say in crucial matters such as equal rights for all New Zealanders, which National have been too timid to implement, despite having promised to do so before the last election.

Bob Edlin: Maori trust’s beach barrier was blessed with a karakia....

......but it didn’t have the blessing of the local council – or the law

Uh, oh. Tensions between beach-going motorists and beach-protecting vigilantes were reflected in a report headed Kāwhia landowners face threats to burn down marae over beach closure.

The report explained that significant numbers of landowners supported the blocking of vehicle access to the Kāwhia Hot Water Beach beach to protect Te Arai ō Wiwini, a breeding ground and nursery for pātiki and other fish.

David Farrar: Yes Minister is a documentary

Matthew Hooton reports:

They’re called the “bureaucratic priesthood” – powerful officials in Wellington who ministers must work with to deliver their promises but who think they, not democratically elected politicians, should be the judge of what the public wants and what it’s going to get.

The priesthood is only a minority of officials, according to a new study by the free-market New Zealand Initiative to be published after the election. It’s designed to help new ministers and MPs, on either side of the political divide, deal with barriers officials could put up to stop them doing what they have been elected to do.

Graham Adams: Why does the left soft-soap Māori gangs?

The Coalition parties can barely believe their luck as the gang scandal continues to engulf their political rivals even as advance voting begins.

Little wonder Oriini Kaipara has been described as a “sleeper-agent for the centre-right” given that a video she posted of herself at a Mongrel Mob hui — alongside Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, Green MP Hūhana Lyndon and Green candidate Michel Mulipola — sparked the political firestorm.

Rodney Hide: The limits of cleverness versus capitalism

The following column appeared in the NATIONAL BUSINESS REVIEW October 27th 2017. With the support of Winston Peters, Jacinda Ardern had just been installed as Prime Minister.

Tuesday October 27, 2026 

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1News Verian Poll: Coalition has path to power but Labour steady amid gangs row

National, ACT and NZ First have moved closer to securing a coalition for a second term in power without needing Opportunity's help, the latest 1News Verian poll suggests

Tonight’s results show National is down on last week, but Labour is stuck on 27%, and Christopher Luxon is pulling clear as preferred prime minister


Click to view

See the full poll results HERE

Whangarei Tim: Opportunity Party (TOP) Exposed - Promoting NZ Apartheid

Te Tiriti is the fake gravy-train leeching “Māori edition” of the original authentic English language version of the Treaty of Waitangi signed on the 6 of February 1840. The modern day fake edition is used by politicians like Labour, Greens, and TOP, to help Māorify New Zealand.

Geoff Parker - TPM’s New Constitutional Policy: Who Should Hold the Political Power to Govern New Zealand?

Where should NZ’s political authority ultimately reside?

That is the real issue behind Te Pāti Māori’s new constitutional policy.

Constitutional Transformation

Te Pāti Māori wants to make Crown obligations arising from Te Tiriti legally enforceable and to fund the next stage of Māori-led constitutional transformation.

Steve Gaskell: TOP - A Fresh Political Brand, Treaty Politics and a Tax on Your Backyard.

The Opportunity Party wants to sell itself as something different from the usual crowd in Wellington. Fair enough. But have a look at its first 12 candidates and some interesting backgrounds start to emerge. Climate activism, Māori economic development, environmental restoration and Treaty issues feature in the experience of several candidates. Kayla Kingdon-Bebb was among the contributors to He Puapua, the report looking at how New Zealand could implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Wendy Geus: Electorate vote David Seymour for Epsom.....Mike Hosking is.

Goldsmith retained activist electoral commissioner and is impeding the BSA demise.

David Seymour received a high level endorsement this week for retaining the Epsom electorate. Mike Hosking, desperately trying to be balanced in his election coverage often comes off as piously clinging to the moral high ground.

Guest Post: These Are Stupid and False Claims

Guest Post on GoodOil by LilBaP

Joel Maxwell’s Stuff opinion tells readers they should fear billionaires more than Māori gangsters.

He starts: “Let me make the argument that our queasy fascination with a bunch of creepy, destructive, probably criminal idiots in the final weeks of the election is focused on the wrong group of creepy, destructive idiots.” The fascination is media click-baiting. There is no fascination for the rest of us.

Peter Williams: Opportunity needs a reality check

We can all start voting on Monday, but the perennially offended among us just keep on finding things to whinge about. Apparently, a public holiday means it’s an inconvenient day to cast a vote.

Just like all the complaining about how closing off the enrolment period at midnight this Sunday is “an affront to democracy,” you sometimes worry about the intelligence of people on the left side of politics.