Dr Muriel Newman: Who Really Runs New Zealand?

Talking with Maree Buscke, Dr Muriel Newman argues that New Zealand’s democratic system has developed serious structural problems, leaving elected governments struggling to deliver their mandates. She examines the influence of the public service, the Reserve Bank, the courts and the Waitangi Tribunal and calls for major institutional reform.

Click below to listen to the interview on RCR.

 

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Will NZ First have to fire Michael Laws over these comments?

I am no defender of what Michael Laws has said, and I made it pretty clear that I think what he said was quite weird and gross.

But I would also find it really weird and over the top if it turns out that New Zealand First fires him as an MP for this.

I mean, that does seem to be a possibility here, right?

Ryan Bridge: More Kiwis will be watching sport over the election this weekend

Here's an election prediction for you.

Look out. Incoming. Hot take. Reckons. Newsflash.

More people New Zealanders will watch sport this weekend than follow the election.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 1.11.26

Friday November 6, 2026 

News:
Council ignores staff, mana whenua advice on voting rights
Invercargill City councillors have rejected recommendations from staff and mana whenua to seek an exemption under a new Government voting rights rule.

This week, the council discussed a recent legislative change that removed voting rights for non-elected members on council committees.

Pee Kay: The Ultimate Political Irony

The Quiet Return of He Puapua inside The Opportunity Party

We all know the dangers and long-term implications for democracy should the radical proposals within He Puapua gain an even stronger foothold in our country’s governance structures. Yet, many New Zealanders remain completely unaware of how close this ideology is to entering Parliament through parties claiming to be centrist or pragmatic.

Let’s look at exactly what is being proposed.

Gary Judd KC: “Two-ticks National”

Wisdom or dogmatic stupidity?

Václav Havel was the last president of Czechoslovakia (1989-1992) and the first president of the Czech Republic (1993-2003). He died in 2011. Before entering politics, he was a playwright, dissident, and leading figure in the Velvet Revolution that ended communist rule. Regarded as a symbol of democracy and human rights, he was arguably the country’s most recognized political figure worldwide. [en.wikipedia.org], [britannica.com]

Peter Williams: Seat by Seat

A decent overhang looks like the right’s only path to victory

Although we’re bombarded with polls on a regular basis as we close in on November 7th, the unique circumstances of this year’s election mean two things - this will the largest parliament in our history and the side with the biggest overhang will be able to form a government.

Today’s Taxpayers Union - Curia poll has forecast a hung parliament at 60 seats each, including Opportunity coming in with 7 seats. But Te Pati Maori is only credited with one seat, based on their party vote of 1.1.

Bob Edlin: A reminder of the Dickson case....

......tribunal is ruling on real estate agents’ work for reasons unrelated to their beliefs

PoO has noted this news from Stuff:

Two real estate agents committed unsatisfactory conduct by assuring buyers all earthquake damage was repaired and failing to investigate red flags that would have revealed an uncompleted retaining wall claim and a $37,350 Earthquake Commission payout.

JC: A True MMP Election at Last

This election, the entire landscape has changed but some of the thinking surrounding the landscape hasn’t. Under MMP, elections were not supposed to be a two-horse race where National or Labour dominated to see who passed the post first. The initial MMP election was held on 12 October 1996. This election will be the tenth one under the MMP system. For some people, especially long-term dyed in the wool National supporters, this is hard to get their heads around.

Eliora: Why Does the National Party Continue to Be So Pig-Headed?

The National Party is being called pig-headed right now, five days out from the election. It is doing its utmost to leave to chance the most terrifying left-wing socialist coalition ever in NZ obtaining power. It is obvious to voters: the election is very close. To maximise the chances of the right coalition remaining in power, New Zealanders must split their votes. https://goodoil.news/harry-mowbray-split-the-vote-campaign-doesnt-breach-electoral-law-2/

Political friends are pointing out the facts to the National Party and the voting public. The big guns are imploring them. If you want a centre-right government and beat the dangerous left bloc, the candidate vote needs to go to National in most electorates and the party vote either to the ACT Party or the New Zealand First Party. It’s a simple numbers game.

David Farrar: Labour used to call this privatisation

RNZ reports:

Labour is promising to help public housing tenants buy their own homes, putting $100 a week towards their deposits under a new rent-to-buy scheme.

Under the election policy, working tenants in Kāinga Ora homes and participating community housing properties would be able to build up a deposit while paying rent.

They would receive a $100 weekly credit, adding up to $5200 a year, with the money held in a trust account.

David Farrar: Douglas vs Seymour

Roger Douglas released:

Muldoon Is Back — Only the Names Have Changed:

ACT’s proposed KiwiSaver tax exemption risks repeating the mistakes of New Zealand’s protected economic past

ACT’s proposal to make KiwiSaver investment earnings tax-free raises an important question: is this good economic policy, or is it an attempt to win votes by offering another special tax concession?

Mike's Minute: My verdict for the Midterms

Welcome to the Midterms of 2026.

Quite possibly, if I can sound almost unpatriotic, they're more interesting as an exercise in democracy than our own election.

It would seem a foregone conclusion that the Republicans, read Trump, will lose the House.

It is less certain what will happen in the Senate.

Thursday November 5, 2026 

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Reynold MacPherson: Four Tests Before We Give Candidates and Parties Our Votes

An election asks us to entrust other people and parties with power over our shared lives. They will make decisions about taxation, public services, infrastructure and the rules under which we live. Their choices will affect people who voted against them, people unable to vote, and generations yet to come. Choosing them deserves more than a reaction to a slogan, a television performance or a promise that leaves us personally better off.

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Is the Michael Laws incident going to cost NZ First votes?

Well, I mean, who is shocked that Michael Laws has said something controversial, right? He was always going to say something to offend people, wasn't he? And so he has, just days before the election.

Now, the comments actually date back to last week. They were made on his show, The Platform, where he was talking about Opportunity and, in particular, their candidate, Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, whom he was on stage with. His observation was that the women in Opportunity are as stern as primary school teachers.

Clive Bibby: Birthright and the responsibilities associated with citizenship

Let’s get a couple of things straight!

We are all descendants of immigrants to this country - the only difference between us is the timing of our ancestors’ arrival.

For example: I am a fourth generation Kiwi descendant of English and Scottish commoners who arrived on immigrant settler ships about 1860. The transportation used to bring my ancestors to our shores was not a lot different to the original canoes that ferried the Tangata Whenua immigrants from Hawaiki centuries earlier.

Ryan Bridge: Kiwis see through media bias over move-on orders

After all the hand-wringing and manufactured controversy, the 'Move On' orders are actually not controversial.

The loser in this story is once again the media.

The beat the story up into a frenzy. The government was trying to punish, or to use a phrase they readily adopted from Tory Whanau, 'punch down' on, the homeless.

Pee Kay: Pork Barrel Politics

Is this not typical, unvarnished pork barrel politics from New Zealand First, yet again cutting up the taxpayer pie to buy regional relevance just in time for the election?

Now, surely this will be seen as a remarkably convenient pre-election handout?

Regional Development Minister Shane Jones stands on a podium somewhere and begins tossing millions of taxpayers dollars at a pair of “exploration” projects under the guise of addressing “…gaps in geothermal knowledge…”.

Gaps in knowledge? Let’s be real Shane!

Richard Prebble: We decide how we vote

There are hysterical claims that vote splitting is somehow against the spirit of MMP.

MMP is not even fully proportional.

Last election, 159,585 party votes elected nobody. Yet these commentators are effectively saying National voters are being undemocratic if they refuse to waste their party votes.

I have split my vote for the last three elections.