Ani O'Brien: The media lawyers up - the chilling effect is coming from inside the house

I received a legal letter this week too

In the days since I published my piece on Maiki Sherman and the “faggot” incident, the story has moved on. The incident itself is no longer really the point and in this second part I am focused on the lengths media went to in order to prevent the incident being reported on and how legal threats appear to be creating a state of paralysis in the industry.

We now have the extraordinary situation where media outlets are reporting on each other for using legal threats to suppress stories.

David Harvey: Gravitas in Political Journalism

This is an article about political journalism. It has been prompted by recent events surrounding an unreported incident at a function hosted by the Minister of Finance. What unfolded there did not redound to the advantage of one of the participants.

The way the media ignored it was a disgrace. The fact that the story was broken by Ani O’Brien on Substack demonstrates the power of citizen journalists. The fact that Mainstream Media hopped onto the bandwagon and started reporting the story demonstrates how easily they can be left in the dust and how they struggle to catch up. It is an example of why there is still a large absence of trust in MSM.

Bob Edlin: Remember when John Key backed down on mining plans?.....

Remember when John Key backed down on mining plans? Let’s see if Luxon can dig in and hold his ground

The Minister responsible for RMA Reform shied from giving guarantees about protecting the Waitākere Ranges under new planning and development laws when questioned in Parliament yesterday.

The PM was no more committed to protecting World Heritage sites. To the contrary, he declared he was gung-ho about mining – and he wasn’t too fussed about where miners should dig.

Rodney Hide: Media’s Intersectionality Trap - Māori Wahine Trumps Gay White Man

TVNZ Political Editor Maiki Sherman — the first Māori women to hold the job — repeatedly shouted the homophobic slur “faggot” at openly gay journalist Lloyd Burr during a pre-Budget drinks event in Finance Minister Nicola Willis’s parliamentary office on 13 May 2025. Multiple witnesses, including parliamentary staff and journalists from rival outlets, confirm the exchange was loud, ugly and disruptive enough to shut the gathering down. Sherman claims it was retaliation for a racial slur; Burr denies it. The facts are clear enough: a senior state-funded journalist used a vile anti-gay epithet in a professional parliamentary setting.

JC: ‘Gotcha’ Tova Learns the Hard Way

This article is at odds with former contributions from Cam Slater and Peter Williams. While both made valid points, this article sets out to analyse why Luxon made the right call in giving Tova her own ‘gotcha’ moment, which she so richly deserved. Luxon has better things to do than waste time with an imbecilic journalist.

Toxic Tova has just been dealt a hard lesson. The lady has been around long enough to have learnt the skills required to conduct an interview. She probably did learn them but decided they weren’t for her. Like many journalists with a far-left bent, the true purpose of an interview simply doesn’t suit their adversarial style when it comes to interviewing someone they don’t like.

Peter Williams: What's in a name?

Cromwell's new edifice and what it should be called

Earlier this decade it was decided that the old Cromwell Memorial Hall, about 20 kilometres from where I live, had to be demolished because it was an earthquake risk.

It was another example of bureaucrats convincing politicians to take a Chicken Little approach to old buildings in the wake of what happened in Christchurch in 2011.

Mike's Minute: Parent prosecutions were a deterrent

It probably wasn’t a surprise to learn the parents being prosecuted over their kids not going to school didn’t turn up to court.

So the reason the justice wheel turns so slowly is partially because of those sorts of folks.

I doubt any court action will achieve a lot in this specific case. But then you can argue it probably wasn’t supposed to.

 Friday May 1, 2026 

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Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Is the coalition really in crisis?

Look, I’m not as excited about the Winston Peters-Chris Luxon emails meeting as clearly some people are.

I mean, there are people predicting the collapse of the coalition as a result of this and others describing it as a coalition in crisis.

Ryan Bridge: We need less fighting, more long term thinking in Wellington

There's no reason parties on left and right in New Zealand politics can't work together to get stuff done.

This week we've seen it with the India FTA. It's essentially just deal-making.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 26.4.26

Friday May 1, 2026 

News:
Te reo Māori first in name for Cromwell’s $45.8M events centre
Cromwell’s new $45.8M events facility will be known as Te Puna Mahara - Cromwell Memorial Events Centre.

The name was confirmed at a Central Otago District Council meeting in Alexandra on Wednesday (April 29).

Karl du Fresne: Why the Maiki Sherman-Lloyd Burr incident is a matter of public interest

A good and respected friend – like me, a former newspaper editor – takes the view that the furore over TVNZ political editor Maiki Sherman’s alleged verbal abuse of Stuff press gallery journalist Lloyd Burr is not news; that at best, it would warrant a mention in a gossip column.

Fair enough, but I differ. If the high-profile journalists who provide the public with political news and comment are bitchy, entitled, childish, over-stimulated and perhaps inclined to run off at the mouth after a few drinks at the end of a long day, I think we deserve to know. That knowledge is potentially very helpful in judging how much notice we should take of them, or indeed whether we should take any notice of them at all.

Matua Kahurangi: Infinite Indians - An open deal with no plan

While the rest of us were just trying to get on with life and our mainstream media were busy hurling homophobic slurs, our spineless politicians quietly sold the farm. They have locked New Zealand into a so-called trade deal that will reshape this country for decades. Almost no one in the press had the balls to ask the bleeding obvious questions.

Thank God for Winston Peters, who is actually doing his job.

Bruce Cotterill: Christopher Luxon leadership - Why the ‘Flakey Five’ coup fizzled fast

We could learn a lot from the animal kingdom.

I remember a university discussion about leadership which referred to the behaviours of buffalo when moving as a pack.

When the herd is on the move the strongest bulls run at the front and on the flanks, forming a protective shield to safeguard the herd. Other strong bulls watch over the stragglers at the back and make sure that none are left behind. The goal is always in the best interests of the herd.

Kerre Woodham: The country we want costs more than we're willing to pay

The topic of tax has been in the news recently and it will stay in the news. It’s set to become an election issue with one of the few policies that Labour's actually committed to being a Capital Gains Tax – possibly more taxation/revenue measures. Watch the politicians dance on the head of a pin in the lead up to the election. The Fitch report, which looks at New Zealand's ability to pay its bills, said that a Labour Party coalition with the Greens and Te Pāti Māori would emphasise revenue measures as a means of making ends meet. The authors of the report said the National Party-led coalition would focus on expenditure constraint. There's been all sorts of argy bargy and we can go into that a little bit later, but already, even when we start talking about tax and about Labour introducing a Capital Gains Tax and more tax, it's said like it's a bad thing. Like it's a dreadful thing to contemplate more tax.

JC: Luxon Has to Turn the Ship Around

Christopher Luxon survived a caucus vote he himself initiated. The obvious aim was an attempt to put the matter to bed/rest. I doubt that has happened. Put plainly, the matter is on bed rest. Peters thinks that it was a bad idea and National is looking increasingly like a party that has lost its way. It has certainly lost the support of a significant percentage of its voter base.

Nicholas Kerr: Alienation and the Failure of MMP

Bryce Edwards’ column on New Zealand’s growing “alienated” class raises an important issue. The numbers are striking: more than a quarter of the country feels politically disconnected, and nearly half believe the system needs major change or replacement.

That is not noise. It is a flashing red light.

David Farrar: Why does the left take over and destroy once great institutions

The Southern Poverty Law Centre used to be a great institution. It used to be a major foe of the KKK and did a great job. But it has now morphed into a radical left group that classified almost anyone in the right as an extremist.

As a university student I was a huge supporter and member of Amnesty International. They stood up for political prisoners everywhere. Now they are extremely selective with their campaigns, and have widened their sphere to much wider political issues.

Dr Don Brash: Instead of fixing the RMA, Govt is perfecting the machinery of division

The following is written in Don's capacity as Hobson's Pledge Trustee.

A few weeks ago, Hobson’s Pledge sent the Government an Official Information Act (OIA) request concerning the Gore District Plan and its requirement that farmers and those using the land must assess their use against Ngāi Tahu's cultural values, such as mauri, wairua, whakapapa, and utu.

Mike's Minute: The free trade deal should be celebrated

The greatest sadness of the India Free Trade Deal, for me to this point, is that the rhetoric has not paid due respect to where free trade basically began.

New Zealand.

We are the pioneers. Well, the modern pioneers.