John MacDonald: Bird-flipping ECan needs its wings clipped

I know the real reason why Federated Farmers is so brassed-off with Environment Canterbury. Nevertheless, I agree with them.

They’re saying that ECan is showing “flagrant disregard” for the community, with this push it’s making for Ngāi Tahu to have a permanent role in the region’s resource management after ECan disappears.

Because, with the Government’s local government reforms, ECan is toast.

Melanie Phillips: Scapegoating the Jews

The demonisation of Israel has become a key driver of Western politics

Astonishingly, in America and Britain, the vilification and scapegoating of Israel through an agenda of malice and mendacity — and with undertones of something even darker — has become a key driver of political life.

US Vice President JD Vance has ramped up his attacks on Israel by channelling anti-Jewish tropes of covert manipulation and warmongering.

Roger Partridge: The corruption of privilege (and why it matters)

The exercise has many names – privilege walk, power line, power walk – and a well-documented lineage. It originated in North American social-justice education in the 1990s, drawing on Peggy McIntosh‘s 1988 working paper on the “invisible knapsack” of white privilege, and is run at school retreats, university orientations and workplace training sessions across the English-speaking world. The format is standard. A facilitator reads a list of statements, and participants step forward or back according to their answers. Step forward if you were raised by both your parents. Step forward if there were more than fifty books in your house. Step forward if your parents took you to galleries or plays. Step forward if you came from a supportive family environment.

Clive Bibby: Common Sense, Trust and Vision

Leadership that actually benefits the people of any country is almost always the result of a visionary approach to the problems faced - either those that are self-inflicted by previous governments or ones that are the result of extreme climatic variations over which there is little control.

David Farrar: RIP Bill Birch

Was sad to see today that Bill Birch has died. I knew him quite well, and he was one of the most competent Ministers of any Government.

His worth ethic was legendary. For the 1998 Budget I was in charge of producing the information sheets (propaganda) for the Government about them. This meant having each iteration signed off by the Finance Minister. They were taking me longer than I expected so I popped in to see him at 10 pm to say I didn’t think I’d get them finished tonight, but could show them to him tomorrow. He asked when I thought I’d finish them, and I said around 1.00 am to 1.30 am. He said that he would still be there, so just come through then.

David Farrar: Who is behind Maori Roll Call?

My kids were watching You Tube and an advertisement came up urging Māori to enrol on the Māori roll. It linked to this website. Tama Iti tells people the more people who go on the Maori roll, the more seats in Parliament. They do not mention that in fact the number of seats is now fixed for the next six years, so changing rolls before the election will have zero impact on the number of seats. What will count is which roll people are on in 2031.

At the bottom of the page it says that the campaign was made possible by a collective of 120+ Whanau Ora providers. That means it is funded by NGOs that are funded by taxpayers to provide support to Māori.

Saturday July 18, 2026 

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Seymour vows to scrap iwi agreements after ECan backdown

Chris Lynch chats to David Seymour about Environment Canterbury, Resource Management Act, Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreement and more.


Click to view

Breaking Views Update: Week of 12.7.26

Saturday July 18, 2026 

News:
Environment Canterbury mulls protecting Ngāi Tahu interests ahead of local government reform
Environment Canterbury (ECan) wants to ensure Ngāi Tahu has a permanent, statutory role in governing the region’s resource management after the regional council is abolished.

The proposal is that ECan, Ngāi Tahu and eight of the 10 Canterbury rūnanga would sign a Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreement that would give those organisations mandatory and permanent participation in plan making, resource consent processes, monitoring and reporting.

Mike's Minute: Why is the NZ Super debate back?

Like so many debates in this country, another one has restarted, this time around Superannuation.

Some economists have taken to their calculators and looked at who earns what in retirement.

Graham Adams: India’s view of ‘indigenous’ rattles Māori advisers

A month before 2023’s election, Winston Peters ignited a brush fire in the media after he told a campaign meeting in Nelson that Māori were not indigenous to New Zealand.

His reasoning was simple: “We come from Hawai-iki. Where's our Hawai-iki? We think it is in the Cook Islands. We think it’s in Rarotonga... but we’re not from here.”

He noted that his tribe Ngāti Wai “came to Aotearoa about 900 years ago or longer”.

Matt Ridley: We’re using the wrong pronouns for AI

Editor’s Note: Matt Ridley spoke about AI’s “pronoun issue” at a London conference last week. Our friends at Quantum Zeitgeist attended the speech and kindly let us republish their thoughts for you.

Most people who talk about artificial intelligence reach, sooner or later, for the singular. There is the AI, the machine, the mind we are about to build, and the only argument left is whether it saves us or finishes us off. Matt Ridley thinks that whole habit of speech is a category error, and at ARC in London this week, the annual gathering of the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship, the science writer offered something cheerier and more curious instead: stop saying it, and start saying them.

Maurice Williamson: Move to Māori names “madness”

Imagine you’d decided to leave the car at home and make the shift to public transport.

After all, if you live around the Pakuranga part of town, you’ve been the subject of construction fatigue for years and years, and you finally thought “I might give the Eastern Busway a go”.

Mary Hobbs: Our beloved country – illusions laid bare

When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall… think of it, always. — Mahatma Gandhi

In earlier decades New Zealanders seemed far more relaxed as they cruised through life. It was a time of no internet – yes, the ancient times! – and less government and local council interference. Overall, we revelled in celebrating what it was to be Kiwi.

John McLean: “OPERATIONAL”

Diametrically disparate attitudes towards political interference in New Zealand’s public sector

In late June 2026, it was revealed that the Independent Police Complaints Authority and the Police’s National Integrity Unit are investigating two historical complaints against current Police Commissioner Richard Chambers. Reports are that the complaints involve allegations of untoward sexual conduct on Chambers’ part, towards women. I’ve no idea about the merits of the complaints.

Ryan Bridge: Should we just ban kids' cell phones altogether?

Is banning smart phones for kids a dumb idea?

That would leave them with dumb phones, sans apps and the internet, just texts and phone calls.

Remember the old Nokia? Or Alcatels? They came in that weird light orangey-peachy colour and a purpley-blue.

Jemma Geoghegan, Nigel French: Bird flu has reached New Zealand...

Bird flu has reached New Zealand – what this means and what comes next

The first detection of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 in New Zealand marks an important milestone, but not an unexpected one.

Since the virus reached Australia last month, and as it continued its global spread, scientists and government agencies have been preparing for the possibility that it would eventually arrive here.

Centrist: No charges laid – 1000 days since Baby Ru’s death

Ruthless-Empire Ahipene-Wall, known publicly as Baby Ru, died on 22 October 2023, just days before his second birthday.

Police said post-mortem results confirmed his cause of death was blunt-force trauma and that they believed the injuries were not accidental.

1000 days since, three adults remain persons of interest, but no one has been charged.

Kerre Woodham: Is it better to ban smartphones or police social media?

The ACT Party's not really a “ban” sort of a party. I've always thought they supported the idea of letting people go to hell in their own way. If you want to make your own decisions, fill your boots – if they're bad ones, live with the consequences. And perhaps they do still support the idea of adults going to hell in their own way, but not when it comes to kids.

Leader David Seymour did not support the National Party ban getting kids off social media. They've said that's a dumb idea, there's no way you can police the internet. But what David Seymour has proposed is a total ban on smartphones for under 16-year-olds.

Friday July 17, 2026 

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