Ian Bradford: Some Arguments Against Climate Alarmists

Skepticism is the highest of duties; blind faith the one unpardonable sin - Thomas Huxley, 19 C Biologist

Sea Level Rise

Alarmists continue to push sea level rise, plus the rise is accelerating as yet more propaganda. Let’s go back in time.

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Coster did nothing wrong, but still had to go

In the end, I think Andrew Coster had to go.

Look, you realize he's won a big victory today, don't you? Cause it's a big admission from the Public Service commissioner today that Andrew Coster didn't do anything wrong himself.

He hadn't committed any personal wrongdoing and it's a big admission also that there was no cover-up.

Ryan Bridge: How was a former Covid response lead able to steal $1.8 million?

This story should shock everybody, but it won't. Sadly.

The headline? Former Covid response lead Alister Thorby stole $1.8 million from DHBs.

From us, taxpayers.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 30.11.25

Thursday December 4, 2025 

News:
Kaupapa Māori study exposes gaps in prison data and support for Māori
A major three-year study has found Māori are being undercounted in prisons by around six percent, masking the true scale of incarceration and its impact on whānau.

The kaupapa Māori research project, TIAKI, examined the experiences of whānau entering and leaving prisons, combining national administrative data with interviews led by researchers with lived experience of incarceration.

Chris Lynch: Food Safety pushes back again after principal disputed cause of mouldy lunches

New Zealand Food Safety has issued a new statement on the mouldy lunches at Haeata Community Campus, reiterating that the evidence points to a human error at the school as the most likely cause.

New Zealand Food Safety is a unit of the Ministry for Primary Industries.

The follow up statement has been released after the school’s principal continued to publicly suggest the problem lay with the provider, appearing on multiple media outlets this morning.

David Farrar: Labour winning all the Māori seats would be good for NZ

Radio NZ reports:

“I think Te Pāti Māori has got themselves into a world of difficulty. They’re not in any fit shape to play a constructive role in the current Parliament, much less a future government,” he told RNZ head of Labour’s annual meeting in Auckland on Friday night.

Ani O'Brien: The lunatics are taking the government to court

PATHA to take the government to court over puberty blockers

A handful of activists, with a tenuous grip on reality and a plethora of mental health issues between them, are dragging the government into the courts over the puberty blocker ban.

On 1 December 2025, the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa (PATHA) filed an urgent injunction seeking to block the upcoming ban on new prescriptions of puberty-blockers for “gender-dysphoric youth” set to take effect on 19 December.

Cam Slater: Willie Jackson Accused of Bullying, Union-Busting and Cronyism....

Exclusive: Willie Jackson Accused of Bullying, Union-Busting and Cronyism to Protect His Missus

Matt McCarten, once one of Labour’s closest allies, has laid a formal complaint with Speaker Gerry Brownlee alleging that Willie Jackson MP used his political muscle to:

Professor Jerry Coyne: Three Royal Societies abandon their mission to promote global and universalist science

A Kiwi who wishes to remain anonymous (of course) sent me this link to an announcement of a meeting of three Royal (Scientific) Societies: those of New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. The screenshot below also links to two other short documents, a communiqué and a statement by the Presidents of all three Societies.

The object is severalfold: to eliminate “structural racism” and inequities in science, to tout “indigenous knowledge systems” as not only different and distinct from normal science, but as having contributed valuable knowledge to science in unique indigenous ways, and to assert that indigenous people have a right to “maintain, protect, and develop indigenous knowledge systems, intellectual property, and data.”

Click below (or above) to access the three statements.

Kerre Woodham: A rates cap or an erosion of services and facilities?

Auckland households face a 7.9% rate rise next year, primarily to fund the operating costs for the $5.5 billion City Rail Link, which is nearly finished. It's a reality, it's going to open for passengers next year – woo! The increase will cover the $235 million annual cost of operating the new underground rail service. It's the largest rates rise since Auckland Council as a super city was formed in 2010. For the average household wondering what on earth to do with all the extra money that comes into their bank accounts, annual rates will climb from $4,023 to $4,341.

David Farrar: The wagons are circling

1 News reports:

Speaking in Māori, former party president Dame Naida Glavish said Te Pāti Māori was not established to belittle people, but rather for the betterment of all Māori.

She said that had not been evident this year.

Mike's Minute: I'm confident for 2026

It probably came out on the wrong day to get the coverage it deserved, but one of the last pieces in the economic turnaround told us we are basically there.

Consumer confidence is back, up six points to 98. It needs to be 100 or more for expansion, but it’s the highest figure since June and backs the business confidence, which last week was up a lot.

Wednesday December 3, 2025 

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David Farrar: Another school lunch beauty

Readers will no doubt have seen the numerous stories about mouldy lunches served at Haeata Community Campus. There were multiple stories on all media platforms reporting that these mouldy meals were the result of Compass, the meal provider.

Radio NZ, and other media, failed to ask any questions at all, as it fit the narrative that the revised school lunch programme was bad that the left love. They didn’t ask:

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: The Government should not fund Ozempic

The big health news today is that the WHO is essentially calling for the funding of weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic for people who would otherwise not be able to afford it.

So basically, make it not just for the rich, but for the poor as well.

Ryan Bridge: Rate caps are happening, but will they work?

This rates cap is popular politics, no doubt, and local government needs a good kick in the pants.

But does a 2-4% band simply mean we're going to pay more in other fees?

Rates aren't the only way these guys make money off us, we also pay for specific things like resource and building consents, LIM requests, dog registrations, and campgrounds.

Dr William Happer Previews His Trip To NZ To Talk Climate Change Truth

Sean Plunket chats to Dr William Happer on The Platform about the climate change hoax.

Click to view

Ani O'Brien: Dirty Politics 2.0 - Labour’s covert influencer says what Chris Hipkins can’t

Jordan Rivers has failed to disclose his employment in the Labour leader's office

When Nicky Hager published Dirty Politics a decade ago, he exposed a political ecosystem in which government insiders supposedly used independent bloggers to wage smear campaigns, break stories, and launder political attacks through channels that looked organic. Hager argued that politicians fed attack lines to bloggers like Cameron Slater. Slater published the hit jobs and ministers kept their hands clean.

Chris Morrison: New Scientific Findings Expose the Hoax Behind Meat Eating Climate Alarm

Sensational new scientific findings have blown holes in the climate hoax opinion that humans need to give up eating meat to save the planet. The effect of methane (CH4), a minor ‘greenhouse’ gas, have been grossly exaggerated to suggest that animal farming poses a significant threat to the global climate. But the invented threat relies on multiplying by around ten the length of time that CH4 stays in the atmosphere – an invention under Global Warming Potential 100 know as GWP100 that is in widespread use in activist circles, including the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. At current emission levels, five Italian scientists predict 54% less warming than under GWP100, while small decreasing emissions, possible with some changes in animal diets, produce only tiny amounts of claimed warming.

Chris Lynch: Government moves to cap rates and curb cost pressures on ratepayers

The Government has announced plans to introduce a national rates cap, saying the move has been designed to help councils control rates increases and reduce pressure on household budgets.

Local Government Minister Simon Watts said rising rates were becoming unsustainable for many residents, with some communities facing repeated double digit increases.

Dave Patterson: What to Do About Venezuela?

The war on drugs wasn’t a real war until President Trump made it one.

President Trump has made Venezuela a special project, presenting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as the face of the evil visited on America by drug and human traffickers. Maduro does not personally run the cartel’s transnational criminal operations, of course, but he facilitates. In some cases, he may actively support and protect them. Trump has taken a multi-pronged approach to stopping this.

Trump’s Venezuela Strategy Is Three-fold

David Farrar: The maths results show why people hate the media

How many stories have you seen in the Media where some group is complaining about there being less of a focus on the Treaty of Waitangi in the education system? I’ve lost count, but it is scores and scores.

How many have you seen about the results of the maths acceleration trial?

Kerre Woodham: Labour makes big promises, but can they deliver?

Hundreds of the Labour Party faithful gathered over the weekend in Auckland to begin the march back to Parliament's government benches. Council of Trade Unions head Sandra Gray was preaching to the converted when she told the crowd that New Zealand's Pavlova paradise has been eaten up by the rich. She said Labour needed to give workers a reason to vote for them and to deliver fundamental and systemic change. Yay! Cue loud rapturous applause.

Bob Edlin: Minister is admonished for not mentioning the muting of Maori media.....

Minister is admonished for not mentioning the muting of Maori media – but budget cuts have been bruising for ALL media

Remember what Budget 2025 did for the news media?

The government provided $6.4 million over four years to hire journalists in heartland New Zealand for reporting on councils and courts.

JC: Will Winston Go Right or Left?

An article in the Weekend Herald by political reporter Jamie Ensor discussed the growing ties between NZ First and Labour. Factually, I could not fault it but I also sensed that it was written with a modicum of hope that Winston would go with Labour. I think Jamie might be disappointed. The possibility Winston will is, however, forever present and I suspect Jamie’s article is a vehicle to get people to think this might be a good idea. Jamie is trying to sow the seed that it realistically could work.

Tuesday December 2, 2025 

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Judy Gill: What “Giving Effect To Te Tiriti” Means in Schools

What does “giving effect to Te Tiriti” actually mean?

Across New Zealand, schools are declaring that they will “give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”

Many parents assume this means teaching New Zealand history or acknowledging Māori culture. In reality, in modern policy language, it means something far more structural.

Caleb Anderson: The American Founders and the lessons we refuse to learn

The oft repeated statement that "Those who forget history are likely to repeat it" ... resonates now more than ever.

Humanity, irrespective of time, place, beliefs, or any other point of difference, seems incomprehensibly blind to the experiences of those who have gone before us, even (and sometimes especially) where these are amply documented, as well as somewhat indifferent toward those who will come after us, and who have to deal with the messes we make.

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Are local councils competent enough to meet rate caps?

The Government has announced the details on its plan for rates caps - councils will be capped at 4%.They will not be able to raise their rates by more than 4%, and the plan will start being implemented in a couple of years' time, sort of mid 27, and then will be fully in place by mid 2029.

Ryan Bridge: Labour should pay attention to the housing market

The housing market is once again in the driver's seat for the economy, but it's not heading in the direction we're used to.

Yes, a recovery is underway.

But the brutal truth of 2025 was summed up rather well, I thought, by Sir Bill English in an interview about the current state of play.

Eliora: This Conservative Man Has the Experience

Think strategically folks! Which leader will conservative Kiwis vote for next year? Luxon, Seymour or Peters or...waste a vote on a very minor party? Conservative Kiwis are smart. Labour, the party that folded and became very unpopular at the last election, has astonishingly, overtaken National in recent polls. Voters are unpredictable and have gone all over the place in the last eight years with their votes. Labour won in a landslide with Ardern as leader and then quickly took a massive hit under her disastrous leadership.

David Farrar: KiwiSaver moving to 6%

National announced that if re-elected they will increase the default KiwiSaver contribution rates from 3% to 4% (already announced as government policy) and then to 6%. The rates will be:

Lindsay Mitchell: Boosting birth rates with benefit payments is a very bad idea

Last week the UK government gave in to the growing pressure from activists to scrap their two child cap on welfare benefits - this despite polling showing majority support for the cap. Glancing through commentary in response to this move, there is an increasingly common theme appearing. That governments should not curb welfare payments for children when the fertility rates are heading south. Or, put another way, birth rates should be incentivised - not discouraged. Who cares where the money to raise children comes from?

Mike's Minute: I think we should get rid of some jury trials

In the UK the Justice Secretary has suggested the end of the jury trial, except for rape, murder, manslaughter, or what he calls "cases that pass a national interest test".

The idea has received the sort of reaction you would expect from the usual quarters you would expect it from.

David Farrar: ERO on the cell phone ban

The ERO has done a report on the impact of removing cellphones from schools. Their major findings:

Alwyn Poole: How to Improve Attendance in New Zealand.

School attendance in NZ is in deep trouble. Not just in reference to our historic levels but also compared to other OECD countries.

New Zealand’s school attendance is lower than the OECD average, especially in upper secondary ages, with rates dropping from 70% to 50% between 2015 and 2025.

Dr Don Brash: At the end of year two, how are they doing?

With less than a year to go to the next general election, polls suggest that the current Government could well lose to a Labour-led coalition, despite the mess which the last Labour Government left just two years ago. Is that negativity warranted?

There are all kinds of criteria one might use to assess the Government but in recent years I have consistently used just five.

Henry Johnston: The GDP myth - What it really shows, and what it doesn’t

The most-often cited metric of economic success more often than not simply tells us what we want to hear – or what the West wants us to hear.

A few weeks after the Russia-Ukraine war began, Belgian economist Paul De Grauwe penned an article for the website of the London School of Economics with the title ‘Russia cannot win the war’. No military specialist, De Grauwe based his conclusion on some simple math: Russia’s GDP was roughly equivalent to the combined output of Belgium and the Netherlands. Therefore, he claimed, Russia is an “economic dwarf in Europe.” Its military operation was thus doomed.

Monday December 1, 2025 

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NZCPR Newsletter: UNDRIP Disaster

At 4.45 am New Zealand time on 20 April 2010, then Minister of Maori Affairs, Maori Party co-leader Dr Pita Sharples, announced to the United Nations in New York that New Zealand would support the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

Pee Kay: We are Funding the White Anting of Democracy!

Tureiti Haromi Moxon, or Lady Moxon, until recently was not a hugely well known name in New Zealand’s political activist arena, but she seems to be making sure that changes!

Lady Moxon is married to the Anglican bishop, Sir David Moxon, hence her damehood.

Professor Robert MacCulloch and Sir Roger Douglas: The Superannuation Debate

PRESS RELEASE

Professor Robert MacCulloch
Matthew S. Abel Chair of Macroeconomics
University of Auckland

Sir Roger Douglas
NZ Finance Minister 1984-88

The NZ Initiative, which is funded by our largest corporates, has attacked super savings for all. One of its former staffers is Prime Minister Luxon's Chief Policy Adviser.

Cam Slater: Big Tobacco, and a Push for Monopoly Profits.....

Exposed: The Hypocritical Nexus Between Otago University Academics and Big Tobacco, and a Push for Monopoly Profits in New Zealand’s Tobacco Wars

This leak exposes a rotten core in New Zealand’s tobacco control scene, where hypocrisy reigns and public health takes a back seat to agendas.

Dr Oliver Harwich: The long estrangement

It is strange to observe a nation act irrationally and against its own interests. Stranger still when that nation is your own.

I grew up in Germany. I still think in German. Yet Germany’s political psychology feels increasingly alien to me.

Mike's Minute: The govt shouldn't have touched the carbon market

If you follow the carbon market, and you should, it is yet another lesson in the abject failure that almost certainly results in gerrymandering markets.

Four times a year you bid for credits (offsets) to counter your polluting habits.

You do this because we signed up to Paris and made a bunch of promises we were never going to be able to keep.

Dr Benno Blaschke: House prices are the new birth control

The Economist, not known for hysteria, has quietly announced that advanced economies are halving their populations every generation. A demographic magic trick. Now you see your grandchildren, now you don’t.

Naturally, everyone blames “fertility.” As though biology suddenly went on strike sometime around 1992.

Nick Clark: Fast-Tracking the Fast-Track Bill

On Monday morning, Eric Crampton and I appeared before the Environment Select Committee to present the Initiative’s submission on the Fast-Track Approvals Amendment Bill.

It is well known that the Bill, and the fast-track regime more generally, is controversial among environmentalists. Our concerns are more about process, but they are no less important.

Dr James Kierstead: Manic compression

If you enjoyed Fifty Shades of Grey (either the book or the movie), there’s no guarantee that you will enjoy Fifty Shades of Grades, the research note on grade distribution at New Zealand universities that I released earlier this week.

Still, I like to think that the latter has enough titillating detail, spanking new analysis, and breath-taking climaxes (if only of series of data) to satisfy most readers.

David Farrar: What should we sell?

Newsroom has an article on the 10 SOEs that a Government could sell.

I’ve done a matrix looking at which could be best to sell.
Asset Competitive Value Sensitivity Prospects

Kerre Woodham: E-scooters, cycle lanes, and public demand

The Government's move to shift e-scooter users from the sidewalk to bike lanes is being hailed as a win for common sense. Shame it's not coming in before the Christmas party season. ACC stats for e-scooter injuries this year are close to surpassing $14 million.

 Sunday November 30, 2025 

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Net Zero Watch Samizdat: Reeves’ poison pill

UK

Reeves’ poison pill energy Budget

Rachel Reeves offered some relief on bills by shifting legacy green levies off household energy costs. Around £150 will be removed from the average bill from April 2026 as the Treasury takes on most Renewables Obligation costs and scraps the Energy Company Obligation scheme.

Karl du Fresne: What privilege looks like in 2025

Two weeks ago, in a blog post headlined What privilege sounds like in 2025, I made the case that the broadcasting organisation formerly known as Radio New Zealand is the embodiment of privilege. 

I argued that the dwindling number of New Zealanders who listen to the state radio station are in fact doubly privileged. Not only are they able to hear taxpayer-funded content that’s carefully curated so as not to offend their sensibilities or challenge their cosy assumptions, but they are spared the indignity of being bombarded with crass, intrusive advertising. That wretched fate is reserved for the proles who choose to tune into commercial radio (which, in this context, essentially means NewstalkZB). 

Geoff Parker: The Politicisation of Indigeneity and the Mythologising of New Zealand’s Past

In modern New Zealand politics, few concepts have been stretched, reshaped, and weaponised as dramatically as “indigeneity.” What was once a descriptive anthropological term has evolved into a powerful political label, invoked to justify constitutional preferences, resource allocations, and competing visions of national identity. But as the term has gathered political force, it has drifted further from the actual historical record — and further still from the material realities of when human beings first reached these islands.

Ani O'Brien: A week is a long time: 29 November 2025

Winston Peters has everyone getting jumpy

Every party leader was nervously and repeatedly refreshing their alerts to see what Winston Peters had said now. For a man in his late 70s, he continues to hold Wellington in a remarkable psychological headlock.

It began with his comments about repealing the Regulatory Standards Act which the government he is part of had just passed. Chris Hipkins responded saying:

Dr James Allan: Vance is Right - The West is Stagnating Due to Mass Immigration

Last week US Vice President J.D. Vance pointed out a home truth about the politicians who have run Canada and Britain this last decade or so. They’ve made some terrible calls, especially as regards mass inwards immigration. To start, Vance pointed to my native Canada and noted that it now has the highest foreign-born share of the population of the entire G7. And its living standards have flatlined.