Ani O'Brien: National's list and the quirks of MMP

National needs more votes, not a new electoral system

There are few surprises to be found in National’s list rankings for the election. Christopher Luxon is first, obviously. Then Nicola Willis, then Chris Bishop retains 3rd despite months of leadership gossip, and Simeon Brown and Erica Stanford round out the top 5. Paul Goldsmith follows at 6 and Gerry Brownlee has been hauled up from 14th at the last election to 9th. Nancy Lu is perhaps the most interesting promotion at 16th. And Melissa Lee, meanwhile, has fallen to 30th, which is a message to pack a lunch and start doorknocking.

Pee Kay, Why Every New Zealander Should Fear a Ngai Tahu Victory

The Trial that could re-shape New Zealand’s future and why the Ngai Tahu case threatens NZ democracy!

There will be many people around New Zealand awaiting a hugely significant High Court judgment in the Tau v Attorney-General action, expected before the November 7th election. This case has the potential to spark significant political anxiety, conflict and certain Maori action regarding freshwater rights.

The case concerns Te Maire Tau’s argument that Ngai Tahu never ceded authority over freshwater and they are seeking a co-governance regime rather than mere compensation. I have no doubt they are actually mean “co-governance… for now!”

Mike's Minute: The Legacy of Newstalk ZB

I hope if you read it or caught it over the weekend you enjoyed the coverage of Newstalk ZB's 100th birthday.

I can tell you for nothing it is an honour and a joy to be a small part of what has become this country's greatest radio success story.

Peter Williams: Political Opinion

If you wanted a display on who is the country’s most composed and unflappable politician, look no further than the reaction to Christopher Luxon’s rather bizarre pronouncement that if returned as Prime Minister after the election he’d hold a referendum on our MMP electoral system.

The whole situation appears completely unplanned. He was on a radio talkback show and commenting on a listener text. It was all very vague. He was “open” to asking voters if they were still supportive of MMP and then pressed further about holding a referendum, he said “yeah, I think I would.”

Can you believe he said that?

Ashley Church: The growing threat from the far-right?

Are we looking in the wrong direction?

If you follow mainstream media commentary in 2026 you could easily come away with the impression that the greatest threat to democracy is presented by the ‘far-right’. The language varies, but the message is remarkably consistent: Political violence comes from the far right. Extremism comes from the far right. Governments should be doing more to curb the spread of far right ideas.

Simon O'Connor: Foreign interference is very real in New Zealand

I recently gave a speech to MPs, academics, journalists, and the general public on foreign interference in New Zealand, sharing some real and personal stories of mine.

This is not my regular Substack. It is a copy of a speech I recently gave to those attending a symposium on foreign interfernce, hosted by the Tasman Alliance and co-sponsored by the Free Speech Union and New Zealand Values Alliance. It was a gathering of academics, Members of Parliament, journalists, ambassadors, influencers, and the general public.

Free to believe

David Farrar: Chambers on Kim Dotcom

Deborah Chambers QC reviews the Dotcom extradition saga:

The Kim Dotcom saga should be a source of deep shame to New Zealanders. To successive governments who failed to fix the legislation. To our courts. And to every New Zealander who believes this country can run a competent extradition system.

Fourteen years. That is how long it has taken – and counting – to get a man arrested in a high-profile raid in January 2012 to the point where he might finally be put on a plane to face the music in the United States.

David Farrar: ACT’s school discipline policy

ACT have released a policy on discipline at school. It is mainly good, but potentially problematic.

ACT will give classroom teachers an explicit legal power to direct a student to leave the room for serious or persistent disruption, backed in law, very much like the operation of the school cell phone ban.

Monday August 10, 2026 

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Peter Williams: Why are we waiting?

The Ngai Tahu water case is clogged in a judge's chambers

There are no official records for New Zealand’s longest delay between a court hearing and the judgement.

High Court guidelines say judges expect 90 percent of reserved decisions to be delivered within three months of the last day of the hearing. The Chief High Court Judge regards a reserved judgement as being “outstanding beyond a reasonable time” once six months have elapsed.

So where does that leave Justice Melanie Harland and her decision on the Ngai Tahu Freshwater Statement of Claim hearing which finished on April 4th last year?

Damien Grant: One blunt speech, one apology, and a Prime Minister losing control

There is, the Prime Minister observed, a “parent-child mentality” when it comes to businesses relationship with government. “ I have literally sat in boardrooms across New Zealand, and the conversation goes: 'I wonder what the government's going to do? I wonder what the government's going to think?'. Who cares what the government thinks or does? Our job is to be adult, adult, adult.”

The Prime Minister was right although I’m not sure it was wise to say it out loud.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 9.8.26

Monday August 10, 2026 

News:
Greens propose $2.4b marae fund: 'When roads close, marae stay open'
Marae would receive funding through a $2.44 billion permanent trust owned and governed by hapū and iwi under a Greens policy which the party says would end reliance on short-term government funding cycles.

Te Waonui a Tāne, the party's proposed 2026 Tiriti policy, would create Te Rangatiratanga Trust with dedicated Crown funding of $1.22 billion a year paid over two years.

Lindsay Mitchell: What the Left constantly ignores

Here is the political argument from the Left:

Poverty causes hardship for children. Whether the parent is working or on a benefit makes no difference. It's the lack of income that matters.

My argument is that the source of income matters. A lot.

Children in households with the same low income suffer hardship disproportionately if their parent is on a benefit.

Mike's Minute: Some political operators want to undermine your future

Perhaps the Labour Party's small target election year strategy has started to unravel as one of their MPs, Helen White, told us all of her desire for house prices to fall.

She wants them to come down.

Dr Bryce Wilkinson: Thoughts for reducing child material hardship

Last month, the Ministry of Social Development released the latest of its excellent statistical reports documenting the extent of child poverty, hardship/deprivation in New Zealand.

The proportions are much below their peak rates around 15 years ago but are still too high.

Richard Shaw: Coalition leadership is hard. Luxon’s ‘nuclear option’ of electoral reform is not the answer

Much to everyone’s surprise – including, it seems, his National Party colleagues – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has committed to offering voters the chance to revisit their electoral system. Again.

Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised – National has form when it comes to constitutional change.

Dr Oliver Hartwich: Embed, align, continue, refresh

The cover of MBIE’s new Workforce Diversity Action Plan shows nine staff holding signs reading “I belong” in several languages. Inside, it declares itself “People-centred | Performance-driven | Evidence-informed”.

Treasury’s plan appeared a few weeks after MBIE’s. Both are organised around the same three focus areas. Both culminate in the same heading “Apply the merit principle comprehensively”.

Gary Moller: New Zealand Has Abundant Energy, So Why Are Our Families Cold?

It's 5:30 in the morning as I write this, and the temperature is only 5°C. I'm dressed in a warm hat and a puffer jacket, with a small heater under my desk to keep my feet warm. Despite our efforts to save energy, last month's power bill was the highest our family has ever seen. Additionally, we've just received our first water services bill. I'm worried about the way things are heading and question if it will ever cease. The financial pressure on hard-working Kiwis appears to be relentless and worsening each month.

Dr Eric Crampton: What New Zealand can learn from Andy Burnham’s UK plan

Election 2023 brought us a new government committed to localist approaches. National had campaigned on greater localism as an alternative to the prior Labour government’s more centralising tendencies across water services, polytechnics, housing and farming regulation.

In his Waitangi speech in 2024, the Prime Minister said that, “We, like you, believe in localism and devolution, not centralisation and control. No one understands your iwi like your iwi does.”

JC: Time to Call a Spade a Spade

A couple of weeks ago I headlined my article ‘Mouthing Off is a No No’. Since then more examples have arisen. What is becoming very clear, at least among politicians, is that this is very much a generational divide. I wonder if the younger generation of current politicians in parliament have heard of the phrase ‘call a spade a spade’? They should have as it has been around since 1542. If so, they seem very reluctant to apply it to their everyday lives. The two politicians most likely to apply the phrase are Winston Peters (81) and Shane Jones (66). They are two of four politicians over 65 years old: the other two being Gerry Brownlee and Damien O’Connor.