Ani O'Brien: A week is a long time: 6 December 2025

Two stories the NZ media decided not to touch this week

The first came from an NZ Herald article originally (credit where its due) but then the real story that should have been investigated from it has been ignored entirely. That is that, as far as I can see, the Labour Party has breached Advertising Standards Authority regulations, the Electoral Act, and social media platform rules. They are paying influencer Jordan Rivers a salary to work in Chris Hipkins’ office and he is posting hundreds upon hundreds of undeclared aggressively political and often attack-ad-style posts and videos on social media. He has 200,000 followers on TikTok alone. It is Dirty Politics 2.0 and I wrote about it earlier this week.

Roger Partridge: The Open Mind and the Closed University

Last month, Dame Anne Salmond issued a public challenge to the very idea of reason – the commitment to shared standards of inquiry that has delivered unprecedented human flourishing over the past three centuries.

Salmond is one of New Zealand’s most celebrated public intellectuals. She was writing in Newsroom on 18 November – the same day legislation requiring universities to protect open debate and remain “institutionally neutral” received royal assent. Salmond opposes the reform. For her, neutrality is a fiction: there is no common ground – only competing worldviews.

Elliot Ikilei: When 87% say 'no' and the media calls them the problem

Every now and then, the media produces something so out-of-touch that I have to stop, take a breath, and ask: Do they actually hear themselves? Yesterday was one of those days.

The NZ Herald released polling showing that only 13% of NZ Europeans want to be called “Pākehā.” An overwhelming example of consensus. And how does the Herald frame this story up? That the 87% (the vast, ordinary majority) are scared, racist, or uncomfortable with their identity. Not “Maybe we should respect people’s preferences.” Nope. They choose to view the majority in the worst light. Apparently, the only acceptable answer was the one most people didn’t give.

Mike's Minute: The NZ retail experience, a first hand view

The New Zealand retail experience, as summed up by a frustrated Katherine Hawkesby as of yesterday.

She visited half a dozen shops - one was decent and the rest were useless.

They were useless for a variety of reasons, but the common theme was service, or lack of it.

Peter Dunne: Andrew Coster resignation

In the wake of the Jevon McSkimming scandal, the resignation of former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster as chief executive of the Social Investment Agency was not unexpected. Both the criticisms of Coster's judgement on the McSkimming case when Police Commissioner that were highlighted in the Independent Police Complaints Authority report and the sensitivity of his new role at the Social Investment Agency made his continued employment in a senior public service role untenable.

Bob Edlin: Socialist Equality Group can’t see a split in the Maori Party....

Socialist Equality Group can’t see a split in the Maori Party – at least, not a class split, nor a call for workers to unite against the wealthy elite

In The Post, you can read how Davey Salmon, KC, explained the political process that resulted in the Māori Party dumping two of its MPs – “to make a big omelette you have to crack a lot of eggs”.

Salmon was in the High Court yesterday acting for party president John Tamihere and the party’s “National Council”.

JC: Should We Trust Labour

Definitely not. There have been a few clangers recently. Some are hypocritical, some are laced with irony, some have both and some are straight out misleading.

Labour’s spokesperson on local government, Tangi Utikere, said Labour will not be supporting the Government’s legislation on a rates cap. At the same time he said the current increases are “unaffordable in the long term”. The logical conclusion to draw from that is the party should be supporting the legislation, especially as no alternative was offered.

Saturday December 6, 2025 

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Steven Gaskell: Another “Final” Settlement - Until the Next One

When it comes to Treaty settlements, the script never changes: solemn speeches, sweeping apologies, and of course the part everyone quietly flips to first the price tag. This time it’s north of $50 million, wrapped in the familiar language of “healing,” “rebuilding,” and “a new relationship grounded in tikanga.” Translation: taxpayers are once again invited to the ceremony as the ATM, dutifully dispensing another round of reconciliation cash.

Wendy Geus: Mike Waltz 'cleans house' at UN – hopefully nixes Ardern's Secretary General aspirations

Mike Waltz, recently appointed US Ambassador to the United Nations has been doing a bit of housework at the UN lately and as of now has swept up $1 billion dollars of savings, and 'we're only getting started', he says. (see link below)

Ryan Bridge: That's a wrap for the year

This is my last day on Early Edition for 2025.

I’ll be on Drive for a few weeks from Monday and while I won’t lie, I’m looking forward to few sleep-ins before Christmas, I will miss our wee 5am club.

It’s a huge privilege to be here with you every morning as you wake up, head off to work, off to school sport or home from a night shift yourself.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 30.11.25

Saturday December 6, 2025 

News:
High Court reinstates Kapa-Kingi to Te Pāti Māori ahead of AGM
The High Court has ordered Te Pāti Māori to reinstate expelled Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi as a party member, finding there are serious questions about the legality and fairness of the process used to remove her.

Dr Oliver Hartwich: The tax problem New Zealand cannot seem to solve

Every year, Inland Revenue writes off hundreds of millions in tax debt – $694.5 million last year alone. The money vanishes through the same predictable loopholes, exploited by the same cast of characters: directors who accumulate GST and PAYE debts, then walk away scot-free by abandoning their companies.

This is not a new problem. It is a perennial feature of New Zealand’s tax collection system, one that successive governments have tried and failed to fix.

Dr Eric Crampton: Regional councils shake-up an opportunity for reinvention

When plans to abolish regional councils were first rumoured, I was more than mildly sceptical.

It isn’t that I’m a giant fan of regional councils; I couldn’t name more than a couple of my own regional councillors, and I bet most of you can’t either. It’s rather that if regional councils didn’t exist, local councils would have to at least partially re-create them.

Matua Kahurangi: Pharmacists cashed in - The COVID gold rush they don’t want you talking about

When the Government rolled out its COVID vaccination programme, most Kiwis assumed pharmacies were simply doing their bit for public health. What we were not told was that behind the scenes the jab programme turned into a lucrative cash cow for a select group of pharmacy owners who saw the pandemic not as a crisis, but as an opportunity to fill their coffers.

Kerre Woodham: Should convictions for violence be public record?

Now, surely, it should be a straightforward exercise. You're about to embark on a relationship with someone, and you want to do a police check. Does this person have previous convictions for violence? Seems charming, seems a lovely, but you hear horror stories. So, why wouldn't you want to check on somebody before you invite them into your life? Why can't you know? Surely, once you have a conviction for an offence, it becomes a matter of public record.

David Farrar: Labour’s policy will cause huge delays in being able to see a GP

Labour’s policy to have taxpayers fund three GP visits a year to every NZer aged 15+ will be costly and will also make it much harder for people to see a GP.

The policy is not targeted towards low and middle income NZers. It will apply to everyone regardless of income or wealth. So every Labour MP will get taxpayer funded GP visits despite earning around $200,000 a year or more.

Mike's Minute: We watch Australia's social media ban with interest

The Australian social media ban has started.

Well, sort of. It came in on Monday but begins officially on the 10th of December.

The worrying thing is one of the big proponents of the idea said she believed with all her heart that "we were saving a generation".

That is not true. Saving them from what? Themselves?

Friday December 5, 2025 

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Geoff Parker: The symbolic coup of New Zealand

New Zealand is witnessing a striking revival of Māori iconography (symbolism) - tattooed faces or chin, bone/greenstone pendants used as identity markers, the flag of the Māori sovereignty movement flying at public events and governmental buildings, carved posts (pou) appearing in places where no such markers ever stood before and Māori carved gateway entrances (waharoa) installed at school entrances. Supporters call this a cultural renaissance. But there is a deeper political message woven through these symbols, one that goes beyond cultural pride: a deliberate statement of rejection of European civilisation and the legitimacy of the country’s colonial foundations.