Barry Brill: Was our recent extreme flooding caused by an undersea volcano?

If the 2023-26 warming spike was the result of Hunga-Tonga, we need not spend a fortune on strengthening the national infrastructure.

Water, water, everywhere….

New Zealand's summer of 2023 saw catastrophic flooding. In late January, an atmospheric river—a concentrated flowing band of tropical moisture—parked itself over Auckland and a record 261mm fell in just 18 hours. Four people died. Over 19,000 properties were damaged. The economic cost reached NZ$2.2 billion.

Heather du Plessis-Allan: Labour's reset is off to a very shaky start

Now, I can’t imagine Labour’s woken up feeling awesome this morning about how that reset is going. What do you think?

This is a reset – you do realise that. After months of saying nothing, having no new policy and generating headlines for Ayesha Verrall singing weird songs about ducks, they started this week with a classic reset move.

Perspective with Andrew Dickens: We're all paying for this LNG project one way or another

So the LNG power plant is set to go ahead to protect us when renewables run low. The Government must be satisfied that the business case stacks up, because that’s what they said they would consider.

At the same time, the Government will be cracking down on power companies during dry-year shortages. Fines for failing to secure enough backup electricity could jump from $2 million to as much as $10 million, or 10 percent of turnover. That’s a hefty fine.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 7.6.26

Wednesday June 10, 2026 

News:
Auckland Council focuses on strengthening partnerships with mana whenua
Auckland Council’s relationships with mana whenua and Māori communities have been the focus of a Tāmaki Ora report on Iwi Ora, recently presented to the Community Committee.

Iwi Ora is a key focus area in the council’s Tāmaki Ora Māori Outcomes Strategy and Performance Measurement Framework 2025–2027. It aims to develop meaningful, long-term relationships with mana whenua, so that iwi can better contribute to the decisions that shape Tāmaki Makaurau and their communities.

DTNZ: IPCA calls for new police protocols on child placement decisions

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) has found Police need clearer guidance and stronger procedures when dealing with children and young people who refuse to return home but do not meet the legal threshold for emergency intervention.

The watchdog investigated four complaints from parents and guardians whose children, aged between 11 and 15, were placed with friends or other caregivers by Police without parental consent. In each case, the young person either did not want to return home or had asked Police to take them elsewhere.

Gary Judd KC: The Issue Raised by the Army Orders

Army Orders and the State’s Duty of Neutrality

This morning The Law Association of New Zealand’s LawNews published an earlier version of the following article, prompted by Alex Penk’s How Army orders sparked debate on religious freedom protections under BORA published by LawNews last Thursday. I commend Penk’s article to you, as it contains more about what the Army has been up.

The Army orders raise a serious issue under s13 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act because they appear to require personnel to engage with, or at least affirm the significance of, a particular religious or cosmological framework under threat of discipline.

Kerre Woodham: MPs' expense claims are legally right, but are they morally right?

Quite frankly, it's all getting a bit much. We're all tightening our belts, we're making decisions about where we're spending our money, what we're spending it on. The rates keep rising, insurance levies keep going up, the cost of everything is through the roof. And for many, many people, there's not a lot of disposable left at the end of the day. Even people who are earning pretty good salaries are suddenly finding there's not as much left at the end of the pay cycle as there used to be.

Ele Ludeman: Do you want govt between you & your GP?

Labour’s policy to fund three GP visits for everyone has been criticised for many reasons, including that it would overwhelm already overstretched general practices.

Labour’s answer to that is to get between us and our GPs:

Graham Adams: Is UNDRIP really an easy win for Winston?

With National widely regarded as falling somewhere between half-hearted and hopeless on rolling back co-governance, its coalition partners are in fierce competition for voters who object to Maorification and reject any interpretation of the Treaty that implies a partnership between the Crown and iwi.

Melanie Phillips: Turning self-defence into a war crime -- again

Despite its predictability, the BBC's twisted treatment of Israel is deeply shocking

Even by the standards of the BBC’s venomous bias against Israel, today’s exchange between BBC Radio Today programme anchor Anna Foster and Israeli spokesman Alex Gandler was jaw-dropping.

Gandler tried to present an accurate timeline and context to show that Israel had attacked both Lebanon and Iran in response to their attacks on Israel. He didn’t get very far. Constantly interrupting him, with a voice made tremulous with indignation at Israel’s apparent perfidy, Foster insisted that the Lebanon ceasefire wasn’t really a ceasefire at all because Israel had continued to attack Hezbollah. Indeed, she charged, in attacking Beirut “it looks like Israel doesn’t want a ceasefire”. To Foster, it seems, demonic Israel just wants to kill people for its own opaque but nefarious purposes.

Bob Edlin: Green MP wins gold for gift of the gab....

Green MP wins gold for gift of the gab – but a party co-leader scores much better for media attention

The PoO team was surprised to learn from The Post that Lawrence Xu-Nan, a first-term Green MP, has spoken more in Parliament than any other MP this term.

Not by a little either – Xu-Nan has said 420,000 words, over four times the 102,000 words the average MP has managed.

David Farrar: Labour’s top cop off to a bad start

The Post reports:

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has expressed severe displeasure over the process that led to a superintendent standing at a high spot on the Labour list. …

Chambers said he had only learnt about the possibility of Naidoo being a Labour candidate on Thursday afternoon, ahead of the list-ranking process that happened over the weekend.

Tuesday June 9, 2026 

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Heather du Plessis-Allan: Luxon does his best work overseas

Is it just me, or did anyone else notice what a contrast it was watching Christopher Luxon cracking jokes with Anthony Albanese, compared to what it was like when Jacinda Ardern visited Australia?

For all her kindness and communication when she was Prime Minister, she would use those trips to Australia to give then–Prime Minister Scott Morrison a tongue-lashing—usually over the 501 deportees, which was pointless because the Aussies weren’t going to change their minds.

Perspective with Andrew Dickens: Why is there no trace of policy out of Labour?

Something has finally emerged from the silent, yawning abyss that is the Labour Party. Unfortunately, it’s not policy - it’s their list.

Seventy-two names, 30 new candidates. Party president Jill Day and leader Chris Hipkins say the lineup reflects modern New Zealand. They’ve got candidates from business, farming, the public service, unions, and community services - Rhodes scholars, Fulbright scholars and Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

Peter Williams: Maori seat manipulation

How a clever campaign could help derail Chris Bishop

There’s an intriguing campaign underway to try and manipulate the existence of the Māori electorates at the next two elections – this year and 2029 - and possibly for 2032 as well.

That’s because the existence of seven such constituencies is guaranteed through the next two elections and there won’t be a review of their number and boundaries until at least 2030. Now that the census has been abandoned and replaced with otherwise available government data, there’s no guarantee the number of seats will change for 2032 either.

Dave Patterson: China Rapidly Building Missile Launching Pads

China is preparing to deploy its own Golden Dome. Satellite photographs show a network of air defense missile launch pads designed to protect Beijing’s intercontinental ballistic missile silos from a nuclear first strike. When your enemy begins to ensure that its offensive nuclear capability is protected, it is confirmation that the US's massive missile defense program has some validity.

Pee Kay: Data Sovereignty or Ethnic Patronage?

Maori data sovereignty? Yes, it’s a thing!

Our government is actively positioning New Zealand as an attractive hub for global data centres. Using our abundant supply of renewable energy, stable political climate, and strategic international cable connectivity, New Zealand can be viewed as an appealing option for global tech companies.

The government’s campaign to attract data centre investment is bolstered by offering policy support, better infrastructure, and fast track regulation.

David Farrar: The union that doesn’t stand up for its members

Audrey Young notes:

The Public Service Association more than most unions has attempted an appearance of political neutrality, not least because the concept lies at the heart of its members’ work. But perhaps it should give up the pretence.

The press release with its response to the announcement of $2.4b of cuts was headed: “Public Services will be decimated by reckless plan to fire nearly 9000 workers”.

John MacDonald: This parole board decision beggars belief

If you ever needed proof that victims of crime are taking a back seat to the criminals, this is it.

And if you ever needed proof that the parole board is out of touch with the rest of us, this is it.