David Farrar: Green priorities

The Greens are campaigning on:

• Funding gangs to do drug rehabilitation

• Their right to campaign at gang pads for votes and selfies

• Repealing the gang patch law

• Allowing all prisoners to vote, even mass murderers

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: I'm glad to see the back of public payphones

Do you know what I'm not going to miss? Public payphones.

Spark has finally reached the end of the road. They've made the decision to rip 90% of these public payphones out of the ground.

They tried to save them. They tried to talk Auckland Council into a deal where they could modernise the payphones in Auckland and operate them on behalf of the public. In exchange, Spark would have been allowed to run digital advertising on the sides of the phones.

Nicole McKee: Look who's courting votes at a Mongrel Mob pad

Look who's courting votes at a Mongrel Mob pad.

It's hardly surprising they think this is a promising place to campaign. The Greens oppose measures to put more offenders behind bars, and Te Pāti Māori wants to abolish prisons by 2040.

Oriini Kaipara says the visit was about the ‘health and wellbeing of the Mob community’. Their health and wellbeing would be a lot better if they stopped cooking meth, assaulting each other, and abusing their families.

Mike's Minute: Did October 15 change the election?

Is it too far-fetched to ask two things:

1) Whether the campaign turned dramatically against Labour yesterday.

2) If within a 24-hour period, whatever chance they might have thought they had is now blown to smithereens.

Saturday October 17, 2026 

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Breaking Views Update: Week of 11.10.26

Saturday October 17, 2026 

News:
How a West Auckland pilot brings Specialist Hauora Practitioners to Bilingual Units
A collaborative health initiative is currently underway in West Auckland primary schools to embed wellbeing practices into bilingual learning environments. The program, Whāia te Oranga, operates within the bilingual units at Rānui Primary School and New Windsor School, providing structured hauora sessions for over 150 students.

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: The Taxpayers' Union's Chris Hipkins AI advert is brilliant campaigning

Right, so the question is whether the Taxpayers' Union has gone too far with its AI advert about Chris Hipkins.

If you haven't seen the ad yet, let me explain it. It's a short video that starts with a ginger-haired man in a suit and red tie sprinting down a suburban street. He kicks in a door and runs into a house where a family is having dinner. He grabs all their wallets from the table and runs off. Then he kicks in the door of another house. A woman is watching TV. He rushes in, takes her wallet and bolts out the door.

Andrew Dickens: Is the Greens' co-leadership a thing of the past?

Yesterday's talkback outrage was all about the MPs and the gangs.

A meeting that was condemned by both the Chrises in the Leaders debate.

But despite this weight of opinion, Marama Davidson doubled down on the visit – and then she promised more funding for gang run social programmes.

Ani O'Brien: Thumbs Up for the Mongrel Mob. Middle Finger to its Victims.

How many rapes does it take before politicians stop smiling?

I am somewhat of a purist when it comes to voting rights. It is my firm belief that the right to vote is fundamental and should not be taken away for any reason. It is controversial among my friends that I oppose the Coalition’s legislation to prevent prison inmates from voting. I do realise that this population overwhelmingly vote for left wing parties, but it is their right to do so. Even if we sequester criminals and take away their physical freedom, they are still part of society at large and I don’t think disenfranchisement should be part of their punishment.

Colinxy: When Bureaucracy Replaces Reality....

.....The Soviet Whaling Disaster and New Zealand’s Box‑Ticking Culture

Students for Liberty recently highlighted one of the most grotesque examples of central planning gone wrong: the Soviet Union’s whaling industry. It is a case study in what happens when bureaucratic incentives replace human needs, and when “success” is measured not by outcomes but by paperwork.

Their summary is brutal:

Kerre Woodham: The MP-gang meeting brought back memories of the bad old days

Sweet mercy. I don't know about you, but the sight of Green and Te Pāti Māori MPs posturing and posing with members of the Mongrel Mob brought back very bad memories of the bad old days. Remember when gang members were given funding for dubious rehab programs? And when they took over the roads and the streets as they were going to tangihanga or just, you know, going from point A to point B and wanted to put on a show?

Bob Edlin: Family centre’s boss sits on Wellington City Council....

.....and three staffers soon may be sitting on the Porirua council

An article on the Scoop website reminded us that more than one election campaign is under way in one chunk of Porirua. A by-election is being fought in the Onepoto General Ward.

The Scoop article drew attention to Sāmoan educator and community services leader Lealamanu’a Aiga Caroline Mareko, who is running in the by-election.

David Farrar: An Amazing Principal

The Herald reports:

In 2017, Ngaire Ashmore walked into a school in crisis. Now Auckland Girls’ Grammar School is winning awards, fielding hundreds of out-of-zone applications per year, and 92% of its Year 13 students have gained University Entrance – compared to 48% a decade ago.

The school’s first Māori woman principal spoke candidly to Carolyne Meng-Yee about becoming a mother at 19, challenging low expectations and the personal experiences that shaped her conviction that every student has potential – even when they can’t see it in themselves.

David Farrar: More on the Herald so called poll of polls

On the 2nd of October I wrote:

So the last six polls, all from different firms, have had ACT ahead of Opportunity by margins ranging from 1% to 6%, and the Herald-MOTU poll of polls says that the poll of polls means Opportunity is ahead of ACT.

On the 8th of October the Herald did an explainer, and have made some changes. Much of their explanation has nothing to do with why they had Opportunity above ACT, when every single pollster had them 1% to 6% behind. But there were some nuggets of useful info:

Rodney Hide: One law for Tamaki, another for the party of October 7

"Bash the Jews. Cut their heads off."

A man shouted that at a pro-Palestinian protest in Auckland in July 2014. It's on video. Dr David Cumin and historian Paul Moon reported to the Herald that the Human Rights Commission didn't think it worth investigating, let alone prosecuting. Its reasoning, as they reported it: no violence followed, so it didn't incite anything.

Remember that reasoning. It's about to become very selective.

Eric Ness: Labour, The Greens and Wellington's most popular $10.5 Billion

There is a wonderful new expression floating around election-year economics: headroom. It sounds reassuring. Spacious. Comfortable. The sort of thing a real-estate agent mentions just before you discover the ceiling slopes down to one and a half metres.

Labour says it has almost $10.5 billion of future operating allowances still unallocated. Barbara Edmonds says that gives Labour room to deal with whatever comes next. Labour also says its announced programme fits inside the existing $2.4 billion Budget operating allowance and that the books return to surplus.

Excellent. Except quite a few people already seem interested in the spare room.

Mike's Minute: NZ vs Australia – there's an easy winner

We're still losing people to Australia, but not as badly as we were.

Stats out yesterday tell the story.

If I could pick a country right now, I would go with New Zealand and by some margin. I haven't always said that.

Friday October 16, 2026 

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Dame Elizabeth Rata: Episode 7: English Content 1877-1899

In the video below Episode 7 is about the content that was taught in the 19th century English syllabus.

Language content included the alphabet for the infant class, as well as orthography, vocabulary, etymology, and grammar – all increasing in difficulty level as pupils moved up the standards. Literature study was poetry, stories, non-fiction, and plays.

NZCPR Newsletter: Cultural Capture

Earlier this year, at a time of rising geopolitical tension and increasing regional insecurity - with China flexing its muscles and our allies expanding combat readiness - New Zealand’s Army hit the headlines for forcing soldiers to sing waiata!

The Army had gone down the vortex of cultural indoctrination.