John McLean: Initiative Lacking On Maori Seats

The New Zealand Initiative prostrates itself to a Māorified Parliament

On its website The New Zealand Initiative claims, “We are the organisation to sketch pathways towards a better future”.

In October 2025, NZ Initiative sketched out its recommendations for reforms to New Zealand’s ‘mixed-member proportional’ (MMP) electoral system. NZ Initiative’s report, MMP AFTER 30 YEARS Time for Electoral Reform?, was authored by NZ Initiative’s Nick Clark. Insomniacs can read the report here:

Matua Kahurangi: Dr Siouxsie’s cringeworthy crowdfunded cry for cash

Most Kiwis will have heard of Dr Siouxsie Wiles, the pink-haired microbiologist weirdo turned propagandist who helped make “flatten the curve” a household catchphrase during the pandemic. Her latest PledgeMe campaign exposes something far less admirable - an embarrassing grift disguised as a plea for support.

Bob Edlin: Columnist wants different Super Card rules to give Maori a better deal.....

Columnist wants different Super Card rules to give Maori a better deal – but look at how cultural veto cards can be played for cash

Our attention was drawn to a column by Stuff’s Joel Maxwell, whose byline picture (below) might be helpful in enabling readers to decide whether he was ill-served when he was asked about his age.

David Farrar: Repeating a mantra without thought

Stuff reports:

Lal wants the same for others, including those with barriers to education: Māori and Pasifika peoples, women, people of colour, LGBTQI+ and disabled students.

 

Those on the left repeat slogans like this as a creed, and seem to ignore the reality. Oh certainly Maori and Pacifika have worse educational outcomes than others, but in no way do women. To the contrary here is how men do compared to women in education:

DTNZ: Iran vows to rebuild nuclear facilities

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has pledged to rebuild the country’s damaged nuclear facilities following coordinated airstrikes by the United States and Israel earlier this year.

Thursday November 6, 2025 

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Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Did Stuff make the right call publishing the Tom Phillips audio?

I'm baffled by the Police Commissioner writing that open letter telling off Stuff today.

You probably missed this thing when it actually happened, which was back in September, but in the week that Tom Phillips was shot and the kids were saved from the bush, Stuff got its hands on some of the audio of the police chase, and they published it.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 2.11.25

Thursday November 6, 2025 

News:
Ending The Education Culture Wars
As reported this morning, the Education and Training Act will be amended so that School Boards will no longer be required to ‘give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, including by working to ensure that its plans, policies, and local curriculum reflect local tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te ao Māori…’

Kerre Woodham: I don't blame retailers for wanting to ban the homeless

A month ago to this very day, Heart of the City, the business association for Auckland City Centre, released a scathing report that found store owners and offices believed homelessness, too few police, neglect and disorder, and frightening anti-social behaviour were crippling their businesses.

Mike's Minute: You win in court but suffer financially - how does that work?

Here is a line up: Alex Salmond, former head of Scotland, Dame Noeline Taurua, and Siouxsie Wiles, as in the microbiologist.

The Salmond family is wanting their estate made bankrupt. It comes out of a judicial review over the handling of a couple of complaints against him by civil servants that turned out to be “tainted”.

Dr James Allan: The Trudeau Disaster

In 1931 the British Parliament passed the Statute of Westminster. For all practical purposes this statute granted legislative independence to the self-governing Dominions of the British Empire, which at the time basically meant Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Irish Free State and Newfoundland. The gist of this very famous statute was that the UK Parliament could no longer legislate for a Dominion without its consent. They were of equal status to the UK.

DTNZ: Government pours $1.2m into cow gadget to ‘fix climate’

The Government has announced a $1.2 million investment in a Canterbury start-up’s wearable device for cows, claiming it could slash nitrous oxide emissions by 95% and nitrate leaching by 93%.

Ministers Nicola Willis and Shane Reti praised the invention as proof of Kiwi ingenuity and a step toward “low-emissions farming.”

Dr Prabani Wood: Better health through better data

This research note reveals how adding GP clinic data to government databases could transform healthcare outcomes while cutting costs.

The research note, “Better health through better data” by Adjunct Fellow Dr Prabani Wood, shows that while government can track hospital visits, prescriptions and even school attendance, it cannot see clearly what happens in GP clinics – where most healthcare occurs.

Simon O'Connor: Are whakapapa and citizenship the same?

I explore why one's ancestry and heritage are not the same as citizenship. I also ask, do we need the Waitangi Tribunal anymore?

The Waitangi Tribunal recently has ruled that the government should change the law for New Zealand citizenship, notably that citizenship by decent rules should be broadened. Importantly and controversially, the Tribunal ruled that this broadening of rules should apply to Māori only.

Peter Williams: Who are you?

Why a question from 35 years ago is problematical today

For a variety of reasons I’ve recently been remembering a fellow called Len Potts, a man many consider the greatest creative mind in the history of New Zealand advertising.

I knew Len a bit because we played some golf together where I watched him smoke more cigarettes than I’ve ever seen anybody consume over 18 holes.

Bob Edlin: What happened to $66bn......

Come on PM – surely someone can tell you what happened to $66bn (and if officials are baffled, let’s give Google a go)

The PM huffed and puffed, when asked in Parliament this afternoon about the state of the economy.

He bridled, too.

Wednesday November 5, 2025 

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Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Are the teachers' unions right to be upset with Erica Stanford?

Okay, I've got a question for you - and this is a genuine question, it's not a rhetorical question.

Do you agree with the teachers' unions that it's an outrage that Erica Stanford is taking the Treaty obligation out of the Education Act, or do you agree with Erica Stanford that it needs to come out?

David Round: Thoughts for our Time - Article 8

In 1927 a French philosopher and novelist, Julien Benda, wrote a book called La Trahison des Clercs ~ The Treason of the Intellectuals. (Clerc, which gives us our words clerk and clergy, meant originally a clergyman, then any literate man.) Nothing is free, and we support our ‘intellectual’ class not because we love them but because they too have contributions to make to the public good. They are not ‘irresponsible’. We expect them to uphold civilised and rational values against their, and our, enemies. Yet all too often, Benda lamented, the intellectuals, while still demanding their generous salaries and privileged positions, pursued their own crazy and pernicious ideas. They betray the public good.

Ani O'Brien: Win for victims - New law puts survivors at the centre of justice

Victims of Sexual Violence (Strengthening Legal Protections) Legislation Act 2025

I make no secret of my hatred of the excessive and inappropriate use of name suppression in New Zealand. In particular, I am infuriated by the number of sex offenders who are given name suppression because people knowing about their offending would cause some kind of unjust hardship. Um no. People knowing you have been convicted on a crime is a direct consequence of choosing to commit the crime. The system should not be mitigating against natural justice.

Samira Taghavi: Staying within the lines: over-reach from the Broadcasting Standards Authority and how it can be fixed

When a statutory regulator begins to stretch its mandate beyond what Parliament intended, it is not a minor procedural concern – it is a constitutional matter.

The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) has recently asserted that its jurisdiction may extend to “internet radio” and other forms of internet-delivered audio content. At first glance, this might appear to be an administrative or technological question. It is not. It is about the limits of state power, the certainty of the law and the preservation of freedom of expression in a democratic society.

Dr Eric Crampton: The (apparently) thriving world of smuggled smokes

Illicit tobacco might now make up more than a quarter of New Zealand’s tobacco market.

There are no wholly reliable numbers on the size of illicit markets. People who operate in Illicit markets do not tell Customs, or Statistics New Zealand, the size of their businesses.

Every estimate is just that. An estimate.

Matua Kahurangi: Why is NZ’s mainstream media so quiet on the UK train stabbings?

In the UK, a horrific attack unfolded aboard a train travelling from Doncaster to London. The service made an emergency stop at Huntingdon station after a man went on a stabbing rampage that left eleven people injured, one of them fighting for their life. Police later confirmed the suspect was a 32-year-old Black British man and that the attack was not being treated as terrorism related.

Bob Edlin: A sorry state of affairs with child abuse stats.....

A sorry state of affairs with child abuse stats – Chhour spotlights a 14% improvement but shades the negative numbers

A 1 News report headed Minister admits comments on state care abuse stats may have misled public draws attention to a ministerial apology.

It was an apology about her use (or misuse) of figures for political effect.

JC: Luxon on Song – Labour off Key

The headline to this posting reflects the contents of two articles in the business section of the Weekend Herald. One was from Fran O’Sullivan who joined the NZUS Council on Luxon’s overseas trip. The other was written by Jenée Tibshraeny who is the Herald business editor in Wellington. Fran’s article was on a positive note, while Jenée’s, on the subject of Labour’s capital gains tax, had a slightly negative tone to it.

David Farrar: The TPM putsch is on

Back on September 12 I blogged:

Reliable sources tell me this is much bigger than I realised. There is a huge split in TPM, basically between the Tamihere aligned MPs and the rest. I have been told that some existing MPs are facing deselection, and that this is behind what we are seeing with the Whip sacked and Ferris defying the co-leaders.

This was some weeks before the infighting went public. My reliable sources were indeed reliable.

The latest is:

Mike's Minute: Is NZ full of chronic pessimists?

Here's a question for you, about us:

Are we chronic pessimists? Just when will it be a good time to buy a large household item?

The ANZ Consumer Confidence figures came out Friday, and we have sunk again. Unlike business, which went up eight points while punters went down another two points.

Tuesday November 4, 2025 

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Centrist: Michael Laws slams ‘Māori issue industry,’ says iwi using ‘cultural veto’ to shake down businesses

Broadcaster Michael Laws says he is “sick of Māori issues” but can’t ignore them because they reveal a “fundamental clash of values” holding the country back.

On The Platform, Laws said a leaked 84-page Ngāi Tahu cultural impact report on Oceana Gold’s McCrae mine near Dunedin shows how iwi are using cultural objections as a cash grab dressed up as spirituality.

Geoff Parker: Water Rights Should Belong To All New Zealanders — Not A Select Few

The latest High Court case by the Wai Mana Whenua group is being promoted as a fight for Māori “rights and interests” in freshwater. But beneath the legal language lies a much bigger question — who ultimately controls New Zealand’s water?

The group insists this is “not about ownership,” yet their own court documents ask for decision-making powers and potential charges or rentals for water use. In plain terms, that means creating a parallel system where an unelected tribal authority could decide who gets access to water — and at what cost.

Ross Meurant: Turmoil in Tanzania Tranquility in Cameroons.

Recent elections in Tanzania seem to have produced a bit of a mess.

Political opposition manifests in riots, many persons killed, incarcerations and opponents blocked from standing as candidates in elections. (1)

Cameroon sits on a powder keg. (2)

Steven Gaskell: A Cure for Everything – As Long as It’s “Inclusive”

Māori call dementia “mate wareware,” which translates roughly to “the sickness of forgetfulness.” The phrase itself is fairly new , made up in 2017 by Dr Makarena Dudley and her team at the University of Auckland. Apparently, Dr Dudley has also found the answer to dementia but only through a cultural adaptation. Her Haumanu Whakaohooho Whakāro programme takes the globally recognised Cognitive Stimulation Therapy, gives it a uniquely local lens, and delivers it on marae with a bit of cultural atmosphere. Admirable? Certainly. But here’s the catch: we’re all paying for it.

David Farrar: Yardley says abolish the BSA

Mike Yardley writes:

As someone who has worked in broadcasting for over 30 years — and has admittedly been the subject of several failed complaints to the BSA — I believe it has had its day. It should be abolished.

Alternatively, perhaps it should fold its tent and transfer oversight of broadcasting standards to the Media Council. This self-regulatory body is funded by its industry members.

David Farrar: They forgot the price tag!

Radio NZ reports:

Hipkins bristled at questions over why neither the policy document, nor accompanying media release, included any figures – including the $200m capital injection later announced by finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds.

“It was certainly in earlier materials. So I think it was just simply an oversight that it wasn’t contained in the press statement.

Pee Kay: How Much of Climate Change is Man-Made?

Last week most of the world would have seen, read and heard the news reports of Hurricane Melissa, reportedly one of the strongest Atlantic born hurricanes observed since record-keeping began.

Melissa was listed as a category 5 hurricane. Based on a storms sustained wind speeds, that is the highest on the hurricane measuring scale.

Matua Kahurangi: Left silent as Christians and civilians are butchered in Africa

When white men kill black people, the left can’t move fast enough. The hashtags, the marches, the moral grandstanding, it all comes pouring out. When it’s black militias slaughtering black civilians, the noise suddenly stops.

Mike's Minute: The Waitangi Tribunal is Running Roughshod

Explain this to me.

Which clause of the Treaty is the Waitangi Tribunal using when they suggest the Government recognise second generation Maori for citizenship?

Chris Lynch: New Zealand’s first school for teenagers with autism will open next year

Autism NZ Education Hub to open as charter school in 2026

Autistic and neurodivergent students will soon have new learning options, with the launch of the Autism NZ Education Hub confirmed for Term 3, 2026.

Dr Oliver Hartwich: Will Europe realise in time that it’s under Russian attack?

The annual public hearing of Germany’s intelligence chiefs is normally a tedious affair: Bureaucrats read prepared statements. Politicians ask predictable questions. And nothing much happens.

This year was different. On 13 October, the presidents of Germany’s three intelligence services – foreign, domestic and military – delivered a coordinated assessment that was remarkable for its bluntness.

David Farrar: Postal voting is very insecure

The Spinoff reports:

Over in Papatoetoe in the south of the city, police are investigating alleged election fraud after a surprise result that saw every member of a new political ticket elected in a landslide. The vote counts in the suburb stand out. Whereas turnout slumped almost everywhere else in the city, including next door Ōtara, in Papatoetoe, it rose by 7%. Incumbent board members received roughly the same number of votes that saw them elected comfortably in 2022. But they were beaten soundly by all four members of the Papatoetoe-Otara Action Team, who were all voted onto the board by 1,000-plus vote margins over their nearest rivals.

Monday November 3, 2025 

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Ani O'Brien: The crisis no one is talking about - Population Collapse

Our birth rate is in free fall, our population is ageing fast, and immigration is the only thing keeping the lights on.

Of all the crises we argue are confronting our world (climate change, artificial intelligence, political instability, war etc) the one most likely to shape the fate of our species is the one no one wants to talk about. It won’t arrive with smoke or sirens, but with silence. Fewer cries in maternity wards. Empty classrooms. Dying small towns. And backs turned as aged populations suffer in societies unable to care for them.

Garrick Tremain: The Best And Worst Prime Ministers To Draw - Part 2

In Part 2 of this 4-part interview on The Platform, terminally ill Garrick Tremain talks to Sean Plunket about the best and worst Prime Ministers to draw.

David Round: Thoughts for our Time - Article 7

I grew up in a different country ~ the New Zealand of more than half a century ago. It had its faults, of course, as all countries do, but in an imperfect world it was pretty good. It was a now-vanished golden era of optimism, prosperity and opportunity.

I was younger, and rather more naive than I am now, but as I recall I would, in my idealistic youthful innocence, have been prepared to fight and die for my country. My father had served in ‘the war’, as we still speak of it, as did uncles, some of whom did not return; I had a grandfather at Gallipoli, and a great uncle killed at Messines....

Dr Benno Blaschke: Punching above or falling behind

At the INFINZ Conference this month, the Initiative’s Dr Oliver Hartwich presented some uncomfortable facts. New Zealand lags behind its OECD peers in productivity, capital intensity, and economic complexity. He warned about our habit of consoling ourselves with positive self-narratives that are not supported by data: "we don't know how lucky we are," "number 8 wire mentality," and "punching above our weight."

Dr Oliver Hartwich: Health and safety on the rocks

Last week, at Wellington’s Koru Lounge, I discovered Air New Zealand’s latest contribution to aviation safety. My request was simple: a whisky, neat.

“We have to add at least one ice cube,” the bartender said, perfectly serious. “Otherwise, it is a shot. It is the new internal rule.”

Peter Williams: Citizenship, Whakapapa and Equality Before the Law

Maybe second generation citizenship is worthwhile - but for everybody

The Waitangi Tribunal has recommended that citizenship by descent be extended to two generations — but only for people of Māori descent. On the surface, it presents as a technical correction to outdated law. In reality, it risks creating two classes of New Zealanders and undermining one of the foundations of modern democracy: equality before the law.

Matua Kahurangi: Subscriber Stories - Emergency care or waiting room farce?

One subscriber's fight to be seen

This week, I received a comment from one of my subscribers, whom I will refer to as KC. She wanted to share what happened to her on Tuesday when she tried to access urgent medical care through our public health system. Her story deserves to be told because it paints a grim picture of what New Zealanders now face when they fall seriously ill.

David Farrar: Does the state need to own houses to help families?

A good report from the NZ Initiative that looks at whether ownership of state houses is the best way to help low income NZ families with housing. Some key extracts:

Bob Edlin: High Court ruling in quarry case calls for consenting panels to apply “a Treaty lens”....

High Court ruling in quarry case calls for consenting panels to apply “a Treaty lens” and be careful to consider iwi CAARs

On the Breaking Views blog today, Steven Gaskell draws attention to the Waitangi Tribunal’s decision that the Government’s review of Treaty clauses in 23 laws is a breach of the Treaty itself.

According to Gaskell, the tribunal is saying nobody may tamper with “the sacred text” – or rather, “the sacred principles of a text that never actually mentioned any principles in the first place”.

Mike's Minute: Paul Goldsmith cannot regulate the internet

Tell me how Broadcasting Minister Paul Goldsmith is going to sort the unsortable?

The Broadcasting Standards Authority has, deliberately or not, opened a box of whoopee that is playing out all over the world in various forms.

In simple terms regulators are trying to work out how to control tech.

Sunday November 2, 2025 

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Graham Adams: Maorification Is National’s Achilles heel

Its opposition to Treatyism is bafflingly haphazard.

At times it’s impossible not to wonder whether some of National’s ministers — and the Prime Minister — have early-onset Alzheimer’s. It is as if they have found themselves in government but can’t remember exactly how they got there and why they won.

Garrick Tremain: Cartoons, Cancel Culture, And Cancer - Part 1

In Part 1 of this 4-part interview on The Platform, terminally ill Garrick Tremain talks to Sean Plunket about cartoons, cancel culture, and cancer.

Net Zero Watch Samizdat: Net Zero Watch launches new campaign to halt renewables expansion

UK

NZW launches new campaign to cancel AR7

Net Zero Watch (NZW) launched this week a brand new campaign calling on the public to contact their MP and to publicly support calls to cancel Allocation Round 7 (AR7), the government’s latest subsidy auction for renewable energy.