Ian Bradford: AI Rips the Mask Off the IPCC’s CO2 Doomsday Narrative

AI is here and will play a part in decision making. A recent decision by AI GroK 3-beta rips the mask off the IPCC’s CO2 doomsday narrative.

In March 2025 Grok3-beta made history as the lead author of a peer-reviewed scientific paper in “Science of Climate Change,” titled “A Critical Assessment of the Anthropogenic CO2-Global Warming Hypothesis.” It was co-authored with Johnathon Cohler, David Leagtes, Franklin Soon and Willie Soon.

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Where does Labour plan on finding the $13 billion for pay equity?

Why did Chris Hipkins choose to announce that he will restore the pay equity regime within the first 100 days of a Labour-led Government? Why did he do that?

I'm really confused by it because it's not as if there was a special event or venue that he tied the announcement to. He was just at a public meeting in Spreydon and then seemed to blurt it out.

Kerry Butler: Should Our Country be Named Aotearoa

There has been a movement in recent times to push a name change for our country to “Aotearoa” by way of creeping normalcy. This subversive agenda is brazenly orchestrated by ideologically biased Media ... especially via News Presenters.

Ryan Bridge: How much cash will we get back from tax cuts?

How much cash will we get back from tax cuts?

Nicola Willis will soon an announcement about their timing and potential value, if they get back to the Treasury benches.

The good news out of yesterday's PREFU is that the books are out of structural deficit this year.

Richard Prebble: Who won the election campaign opening?

As a former campaign manager, we used to measure the success of a campaign by the size of the crowds.

Both major parties use to hire the biggest hall, the Auckland Town Hall, which holds 1,529.

Campaign meetings were open to the public. We measured enthusiasm by the numbers who could not get in.

JC: What Are We Looking For

I refer to the types of parties’ policies we, as right-wing conservative voters, would like to see at the forthcoming election. Anything from the left will not sit comfortably so we must look to the three parties on the right. We must start from the base that there is no one party that is going to address everything we may want. Therefore each party has to be looked at individually in each policy area.

Peter Williams: Splitting your vote - It’s the only way

The latest 1News poll tells us what we’ve known for a while. National can only get back to power through its electorate MPs

The arrogance of the National Party is reaching peak level nonsense. There was the still revered former leader John Key at the campaign launch telling the faithful that anything other than “two ticks National” could result in cabinet ministers from parties other than National.

Well blow me down with a feather. Isn’t that the whole point of a coalition government?

Dave Patterson: China’s Presence in the Arctic a Growing Concern

Beijing’s presence in the Arctic is no secret – but it is a cause for concern. China, which euphemistically calls itself a “near-Arctic country,” has for several years become an increasingly frequent presence in the Arctic. A recent intrusion by the PRC prompted close monitoring of the Chinese vessel. Rear Admiral Bob Little, Commander of the US Coast Guard’s Arctic District, told Reuters: “So far in 2026, four Chinese research vessels have conducted work offshore in the US Arctic, compared to a total of five in 2025.”

Ashley Church: Did Israel have advance knowledge of 7 October?

Separating what was known from what wasn't

There’s a theory about Pearl Harbor that has been circulating almost since the day the Japanese attacked the American Pacific Fleet on 7 December 1941.

It says that President Franklin Roosevelt knew the attack was coming and allowed it to happen because he wanted the United States to enter the Second World War and needed an event dramatic enough to change American public opinion.

It’s a compelling story, which probably explains why it has survived for more than 80 years. There’s just one problem. There’s no credible evidence that it happened.

Bob Edlin: Yes, voters favoured scrapping the Maori Health Authority....

....but the Waitangi Tribunal wants it resurrected

By finding that the Luxon Government failed to do all sorts of things when it scrapped the Māori Health Authority, the Waitangi Tribunal has buttressed the case for its disestablishment which ACT and New Zealand First are promoting.

In a report released on Friday, the tribunal examined the Crown’s process for developing plans to address Māori health in place of a Māori health authority.

Bob Edlin: MBIE mandarins (it seems) have left Ministers out in the cold....

.....when it comes to overheated housing

PoO noted an RNZ report which said:

Advocates for people living in overheating new builds are dismayed that officials will not consider comprehensive changes to fix the issue until 2031.

Residents of the glut of townhouses and apartments built in the last few years have repeatedly raised concerns about dangerous heat in their homes during summer, because of common design flaws.

Tuesday September 29, 2026 

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Why John Key Is Wrong - Maurice Williamson Exposes MMP Vote Splitting.

Is splitting your vote clever or a massive gamble? In this episode of Duncan Garner: Editor-in-Chief, former National minister and mathematician Maurice Williamson joins Duncan to lay out why he believes centre-right voters should split their votes this election.

Click to view

Ryan Bridge: What strategic voting will do

There's an irony to this latest poll which won't be lost on Labour.

It is of course one poll and should be read as such.

The big parties are getting smaller, and the smaller parties are getting bigger.

Pee Kay: Smoke, Mirrors, and Supermarkets

National Side-steps the Economic Drivers They Actually Control

Right now, National is playing a masterful game of economic misdirection. While Chris Luxon and Nicola Willis demand accountability from supermarket executives, National actively side-steps the massive economic drivers they actually control. It’s a convenient distraction; if the public is busy blaming the price of cheese, nobody asks why the governments own strategy is completely failing.

New Zealand’s grocery sector, well the locally owned ones, have been in the cross hairs of a number of our political parties over the last few weeks.

Geoff Parker: The NZ Herald's Cherry-Picked History.

The facts the Herald left out

The Weekend Herald's article (26 Sep 2026) “Horse trading: The troubling history of Māori-Pākehā land deals” presents a highly selective account of New Zealand's land history. It takes readers through disputed purchases, confiscations, the Native Land Court and Treaty settlements, while giving far less attention to the events that preceded those grievances.

That matters because history is chronology. If the beginning of an episode is removed, the events that follow can be made to look entirely different.

The Herald has published its version. Here are the facts it leaves out.

Kerre Woodham: Both parties' launches reeked of desperation

The election campaign officially kicked off over the weekend with the two main parties, but honestly, it feels like we've been in campaign mode for years now.

National and Labour gathered their party faithful in their respective happy places: the swanky International Convention Centre for the blue team, Dew Drop Events Centre in South Auckland for the red team.

Amy Gallagher: I Was Forced Out of an NHS Training Course for My Belief in Colour-Blind Meritocracy.....

.....It’s Time for the Courts to Intervene

In 2020, I enrolled at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust to become a psychotherapist. Infamous now for its disbanded Gender Identity Development Service, the Tavistock was one of the first NHS trusts to declare itself an ‘anti-racist’ organisation. As part of my training, it pushed its policy seminar, “Whiteness: a problem for our time”, where, it claimed, “a key and urgent question then for those of us who are regarded as White is, how do we interrogate our whiteness?” I was told I needed to view all white people as racist as it was the Tavistock’s official ‘anti-racist’ stance.

Colinxy: Who Actually Governs NZ?

A Genealogy of Bureaucratic Power in a Country That Pretends Ministers Are in Charge

Every few years, New Zealanders rediscover the same uncomfortable truth: the people they elect do not actually run the country. Ministers announce, promise, and posture. Bureaucrats decide, delay, and deny. The public service is the permanent government; ministers are the temporary decoration.

Peter Williams: On Politics

Nothing appears to have changed much in New Zealand politics in the month that I’ve been out of the country. The National Party continues to be a major disappointment in terms of both policy and election strategy, the Maori Party just gets weirder and weirder, Labour is backtracking on policy, and I still can’t make up my mind whether I party vote for ACT or NZ First.

And then there’s the media.

Ashley Church: Can we still rock the Casbah?

Why has the left turned its back on the Iranian people?

Those of us of a certain age will hear the words Rock the Casbah and be immediately transported back to 1982 and one of the most distinctive songs of that era.

Released by British Punk band, The Clash, it went on to become one of their biggest international hits – but behind the cheesy video (which you can easily find on YouTube) and the ridiculously catchy chorus was something much more serious because the song was inspired by what was happening in Iran in the years immediately following the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Richard Prebble: Who really pays tax?

The poll this week on tax finds that only 4 percent of people think they should pay more tax, while 64 percent support a wealth tax.

I wonder if the pollster had read this statement first, would it have changed the answer?

Monday September 28, 2026 

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1News Verian Poll: Greens surge to best result ever as National, Labour slide further

Click to view

Ryan Bridge: Will Labour's election bribe work?

It's not quite Briscoes sale level, but 10% off your student loan is not to be scoffed at.

Unless you're not a student, never had a student loan, and don't plan on sitting in a lecture theatre for three years.

Then you don't really care about this policy except for what it costs you as a taxpayer.

Paul Melville: Tackling the cost-of-living crisis through comparative analysis

This election, the standout issue is the cost of living.

It’s all the focus groups want to talk about.

Petrol, food, insurance, electricity, rates. The cost of everything has gone up and something must be done.

Dr Oliver Hartwich: NZ shows how not to run a census

Two thousand years ago, according to St Luke, Emperor Augustus decreed that all the world should be registered. A carpenter and his pregnant wife walked from Nazareth to Bethlehem to comply. Evidently, the Romans had little trouble with their census response rate.

Ever since those times, countries have counted their populations. For those filling in the forms, it is a nuisance, to be sure. But governments need reliable figures to plan public services.

Dr Michael Johnston: Nothing endures but change

Last week, Labour announced its flagship education policy for the election. If it wins in November, it will introduce a new statutory authority, called the Independent Council for Curriculum and Assessment (ICCA). The New Zealand Principals' Federation first proposed the idea in August.

The ICCA would oversee future development of school curricula and national assessment systems. Labour’s education spokesperson Ginny Andersen said, “educational professionals should be determining what children learn and how they learn, not the minister of education.”

Dr Oliver Hartwich: Why we spoke up

Over the past couple of months, we have heard mounting alarm from business leaders about this election campaign. They are asking whether New Zealand still welcomes people willing to invest here. The concern comes from a broad range of industries.

Those conversations prompted an open letter, now signed by 51 business leaders. It asks all political parties to respect private property and the agreements people make.

Bruce Cotterill: Foodstuffs breakup plan - Why National’s supermarket policy is a disaster

The Four Square store has been with most of us for our entire lives. With its “Cheeky Charlie” Mr Four Square logo, complete with a grocer’s apron and a pencil behind his ear, excellent range and convenient location, it’s a New Zealand icon that has served us well.

Generations before mine would approach the counter at the front of the shop with a shopping list for the grocer, who would duly put together an order while the customer waited. Our generation saw “self-service” stores and an opportunity to wander the aisles and choose for ourselves.

Kerre Woodham: Are these election promises worth it to you?

The political parties have pressed go on their election campaigns and every morning from now until November 7th, we'll have a full smorgasbord of party promises to pick over. Lucky, lucky us.

Of course, most of them aren't worth the paper they're printed on. The minor parties have the luxury of promising you a pony and a castle and fairy bread for the rest of your life, then when it comes time to stump up after the election, they'll be all, "Oh, soz, we really wanted to, but those mean Nats/Labourites wouldn't let us. Sorry." So everything you hear, take with a grain of salt.

Bob Edlin: We are talking here about AI mischief at Stanford University.....

....but there are lessons for NZ media and our electoral laws

The name “Stanford” has popped up in a slew of news reports in this country in recent days, as Education Minister Erica Stanford wriggles her way – or tries to – through various controversies.

She and the Principals’ Federation president are firing insults at each other after she delivered a speech at a recent federation conference.

She is embroiled in controversy over Official Information Act issues (here and here).

David Farrar: ACT’s Waitangi Tribunal policy

ACT have released their policy on abolishing the Waitangi Tribunal once it has concluded the historical Treaty claims, and remove its jurisdiction. over contemporary issues.

Rodney Hide: Whatever they come up with

https://x.com/henrycooke/status/2103716319233511722?s=42

It took thirty seconds. Under a marquee, the Prime Minister was asked whether he agreed with the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Yeah," said Christopher Luxon. "We support the international rules-based system, so that means we support the ICC and the ICJ. And they are the right people to make those determinations. And that's why we support whatever they come up with."

Sunday September 27, 2026 

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Pee Kay: A vote for TOP is a vote for even more division!

In this video (below) Whangarei Tim clearly demonstrates why voters should think twice before ticking TOP on their ballot paper. At the heart of TOP’s election campaign is their highly contentious Land Tax. A policy that threatens to push asset-rich but cash-poor New Zealanders straight down “Struggle Street” under the weight of crushing new tax bills.

Ani O'Brien: A week is a long time: 26 September 2026

Just who is engaging in dirty politics?

After several days of breathless speculation and a launch that excited as many as 200 New Zealanders and the media, Nicky Hager finally released Dirty Work: The Taxpayers’ Union and New Zealand’s Hard Right. Like a dead cat whacked on the dining table the day before Parliament rose for the end of term, it was intended to impact the election.

Alwyn Poole: Two quick education notes.

1. More good news on attendance now that Term 2 2026 data is official.

“Nationally, 64.3% of students met the criteria for regular attendance (present more than
90% of the term). This is an increase of 5.9 percentage points from Term 2 2025.”

69.5% was the pre-covid high (2015) and it is very good to see the trend going in the right direction.

Bob Edlin: Maori Party announces a pot of gold....

.....or rather, $66m a year – for a new commission at the end of the rainbow

If you think it’s great to learn something that extends your vocabulary, read on.

Then again, maybe it’s not a new word for you, and the writer of this article will be exposing himself as a bloke who hasn’t been paying attention to something which was incorporated long ago in media reports along with a raft of other te reo words.

Centrist: Wealth tax wins 64% support....

.....with a $10m threshold and family homes excluded

Despite the debate over tax policy, only 8% identified taxation among the country’s top concerns.

Almost two-thirds of respondents support a wealth tax targeting individual net assets above $10 million while exempting family homes, according to new Ipsos polling.

Guest Post: Can governments really force people to save more?....

......Do Australians save more than Kiwis?

A guest post on Kiwiblog by Michael Littlewood:

It’s difficult to compare countries’ retirement income systems but, in a new report, I have tried, as I describe the differences and similarities between New Zealand and Australia. We hear a great deal about Australia, probably because most of our financial service providers are Australian-owned and their own incomes reflect funds under their management.

David Lillis: Shakespeare in our Curriculum

The New Curriculum

The ongoing work on education under Erica Stanford has come in for a great deal of criticism over the last few months especially. The new curriculum has received particular censure, and the compulsory inclusion of Shakespeare in the English curriculum seems to have presented issues for some parties (Lillis, 2025). Indeed, New Zealand needs a balanced curriculum that reflects the multicultural nature of our society and therefore of our primary and secondary students, and surely a Eurocentric curriculum for New Zealand would be ill-posed and therefore completely unacceptable.

Javier Milei: Address to the UN

His Excellency Javier Milei, President of the Argentine Republic, Address to the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York, September 23, 2026

Today I address you for the third time as President of all Argentines.

David Farrar: Labour committed to bribing the media

 

The Post reports:

Labour’s leader Chris Hipkins has committed to reviving the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill, which has been left languishing on Parliament’s order paper since 2024, and said the party will campaign on it at the election.

Richard Prebble: Is breaking up Foodstuffs consistent with centre-right values?

A National Party apologist writing in the Herald this week argued that being in favour of markets does not mean being in favour of big business.

When does National believe a successful company has become too big to enjoy property rights, freedom of contract and the protection of the rule of law?

Rodney Hide: Israel is The Great Decolonisation

Chlöe Swarbrick wants “decolonisation” language for Palestine and a map with no Israel on it. Apply her own standard honestly, and Israel is the decolonisation.

At Auckland Domain in November 2023 she led the chant: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” When challenged, she did not drop it. She called the objection a “purposeful distraction… being used the world over to shut down peace activists.” On Q+A she kept the same talking point: “Palestinian freedom is necessary if we are to have longstanding freedom and justice in the region,” and treated pushback as an “intentional misunderstanding” that paints that freedom as violence. Later she spoke of Palestinians “made refugees in their own land,” and of ending “merciless violence against the Palestinian people on their own land.”

Saturday September 26, 2026 

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David Round: Forest and Bird Drift Left

As you may know, I resigned as a member of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society a couple of years ago, dismayed that its enthusiasm for undefined but radical ‘Treaty principles’ was actually harming the conservation cause. F&B’s complete refusal to respond to any of my letters did not help.

Clive Bibby: Responding to a changing economy

Having just relocated to the Naki from our beloved East Coast, I am able to view the Government’s handling of a changing economy from a different regional perspective.

And while there appear to be similar debilitating pressures on the family budget, no matter which part of the country you regard as home, there are also distinct differences based both on how citizens are handling the hard times but also the remedies they are using in trying to accommodate them.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 20.9.26

Saturday September 26, 2026 

News:
Māori words in curriculum shouldn't be controversial, principals say
Principals and a Māori language advocate are angry and disappointed by the Education Ministry's treatment of te reo Māori and the secrecy that has surrounded it.

Multiple Education Ministry whistleblowers have told RNZ this week that managers told them to delete the term Aotearoa and other Māori words from official documents.

Dame Elizabeth Rata: Episode 4 - Secularism and Moral Instruction

In the video below, Episode 4 explains why public schools were secular. The purpose was to create a tolerant and cohesive civil society for New Zealand's liberal democracy. Secularism was neither pro-or anti-religion.

Mike's Minute: Council amalgamation – something else this Govt didn't deliver

Andrew Little had a good crack at the Government over council amalgamation.

He got interrupted by an alarm but made his point and his disappointment is well-founded.

My major criticism of this Government is they said a lot of stuff they simply didn’t deliver on.

David Harvey: Sunset for the Broadcasting Standards Authority

A Bill that is Better Late Than Never

The Broadcasting (Disestablishment of Broadcasting Standards Authority) Amendment Bill was introduced into Parliament on 22 September 2026 – one day before the House rises for the final time before the election.

It will not get a first reading in the current session and the plan is that it will remain, hopefully to be picked up and advanced by a returned version of the current coalition Government.

What this amounts to is a symbolic gesture and an expression of hope.

Rodney Hide: The model you can’t read

My earlier column was motivated by a Seek ad. This one is what that ad named and DOC will not publish.

A “new DOC Treaty Operating Model.”

Type those words into the department’s own website. Nothing. Search the last annual report. Still “Treaty Relationships.” Scoop, Beehive, Cabinet papers in the public domain: blank.

Roger Partridge: Your Business, Their Election Promise

The 2026 election campaign has not got off to a good start for business – or for the country. National, Labour, the Greens and New Zealand First have each made dangerous promises to intervene in private commercial arrangements. The tally so far includes supermarket ownership, retirement village contracts, commercial leases and the price of food.

None of these interventions rests on a finding that anyone has broken the law. No court judgment, no Commerce Commission determination, nothing.

That matters. Businesses invest when they can rely on owning what they build. Firms sign contracts when they can rely on the terms being honoured. Disregard either and the effect on the economy is chilling.