Dr James Allan: Just Repeal and Undo

How many readers have noticed this huge failing in so many longstanding, establishment conservative political parties around the democratic world? To start, the Left side of politics when in power will seed or remake some institution. Or it will enact some big-ticket legislative reform. Maybe it’s bringing into being a beefed-up, more potent and renamed Australian Human Rights Commission. Maybe it’s enacting a statutory bill of rights in Victoria, in Queensland, in New Zealand, in Britain.

John McLean: Sherman Tanks......

But still snares lamestream media’s Political Journalist of the Year award

Maiki Sherman has left Television New Zealand. And not before time. Her last day as TVNZ’s Chief Political Editor was 8 May. She claims she resigned, but it’s not clear that’s true. Almost certainly, she’s been paid a handsomely dollop of cash out of TVNZ’s trough in connection with her exit.

Kerre Woodham: Have you crunched the numbers with your new rates bill?

Have you done the sums yet to work out how much more you're going to have to pay, how much more you're going to have to find to pay the rates bill? We were talking before the show, for some of my colleagues it's an extra $45 per fortnight, they're in an apartment out of the main city. I can't even imagine how much the increase will be for people living in the leafy suburbs.

Auckland Council has locked in a 7.9% rates rise, according to Wayne Brown it's to fund the City Rail Link. They've managed to keep everything else, they've managed to cut costs and reduce spending and keep everything level, this is purely to fund the City Rail Link. He's unapologetic. He said we've got this railway, if we don't pay for it this year, then we're just going to have to pay for it next year. And that's quite true, you can't just keep deferring essential spending.

Bob Edlin: The PM (after initial stalling) declares his confidence that FTA obligations are being met

Lawyers for Climate Action were among those who kicked up a fuss when the Government announced it would pass a law preventing companies from being sued over climate change damage.

Now they have come up with another niggle. Newsroom reported yesterday that – according to a new legal opinion – two of the Government’s key energy policies are fossil fuel subsidies which breach New Zealand’s international trade obligations.

Thursday May 28, 2026 

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Steven Gaskell: Colonialism Apparently Invented Mortgages

According to the latest fashionable academic theory coming out of the University of Auckland, Māori housing struggles today can largely be traced back to colonialism introducing private property, debt and home ownership systems that supposedly “reshaped Māori life”. In other words, the modern housing market is now apparently responsible not only for interest rates and rent increases, but also for rewriting centuries of history into a permanent grievance narrative where every social problem somehow traces back to Captain Cook personally inventing mortgages.

Caleb Anderson: The psychopathology of the left and the slow death of decency

Recent controversy around disparaging comments about Nicola Willis made by a prominent member of the labour caucus at a closed-door workshop give pause for thought. The response by the Labour leader, when asked to explain, was simply that he had reminded his caucus to be cautious with their words as they could become public.

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: When will the screws on the economy start turning?

Well, that Official Cash Rate decision is probably one of those moments where you find out whether you're a glass half-full or glass half-empty person.

Because on the bright side, the Official Cash Rate didn’t go up. On the downside, it looks like it’s definitely going up next time. So yes, it’s a reprieve - but it’s only a reprieve for six weeks, excuse me, before the screws on the economy start turning again.

Clive Bibby: We allow this madness at our peril!

A recent decision by the Australian Federal Court sets a precedent in Law that will become difficult to overturn but, for the sake of humanity, overcoming it we must.

The ruling by three activist judges is in many ways a battle between “good and evil” or in the modern vernacular, it is a fight between identity ideology and biological science - a situation which, in spite of all the noise, there should be only one argument.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 24.5.26

Thursday May 28, 2026 

News:
Māori find value in highly politicised charter schools
The highly politicised charter school model is resonating with both a growing number of Māori students whose attendance rates are higher than state schools, and iwi determined to exercise autonomy over education for their whānau. But with the election looming, the schools face an uncertain future with Labour revealing they would disestablish the agency that oversees them.

Colinxy: What Are Erica Stanford’s Education Reforms Really About?

And are NZ teachers correct about where the system is headed?

I’ll start with a confession: I am pleasantly surprised by Erica Stanford. Not because she is perfect, no minister is, but because she is the first Education Minister in decades willing to say the quiet part out loud:

Critical Pedagogy, the Neo‑Marxist backbone of our curriculum, has to go[i].

David Harvey: The Courts and Climate Change

The Smith v Fonterra case was brought by climate change spokesperson for the Iwi Chairs Forum Michael Smith (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu) against several major emitters. Smith was attempting to use tort law to address the diffuse, cumulative harms of climate change to his property, culture, and iwi.

JC: Which Way Will Winston Jump?

Winston will stay where he is and not jump to the left. You might think its gone off track to concentrate on the Labour Party but my purpose is to highlight the policy differences between NZ First and Labour which will contribute to the decision Winston makes.

I note on Backchat and elsewhere there are some still not trusting Winston not to veer left post election and put the left block of chaos and mayhem into power. Despite his categorical statements that he will not do so, a level of distrust persists. This is perfectly understandable given the man’s history but I do not subscribe to it. I agree it is hard to forgive him for his horrendous betrayal of the right in 2017 by giving power to the Morrinsville fish and chips wrapper. The country paid a heavy price for that but so did he.

Mike's Minute: Moana Pasifika showed the market was right

Let this be a lesson to all those who argue against the simple truism that the market, most of the time, tends to be right.

Moana Pasifika are in liquidation, the vote was held and the story ends here.

The trouble is the taxpayer footed a lot of the bill and the money is gone, flushed down an ideological toilet.

Gary Judd KC: Stuart Nash, Cabinet Confidentiality, and Winston Peters’ Standards

Has Misconduct Stopped Mattering: or is it another case of amnesia?

Lord Peter Mandelson, former UK Cabinet Minister and dismissed UK Ambassador to Washington DC, and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew and sometime UK trade envoy, were both arrested earlier this year on suspicion of committing the offence of misconduct in public office. Both have been released on bail. Neither has yet been charged. Neither may be charged. The common feature of the charges is the alleged sharing of sensitive government information they received in official capacities.

The UK Law Commission in making recommendations for law reform in this area, described the offence:

Andrew Dickens: Gas rationing and transition schemes

Thirty years ago, I was the station manager and breakfast announcer at a very small experimental talk station in Auckland called ‘The Point’ on 1476 AM. It lasted for about three years. It was a lot of fun. Now I mention this because I clearly remember 30 years ago a morning when we discussed what happens to New Zealand when the Maui and Kapuni gas runs out, because even then scientists were warning that supplies were limited and they were dwindling. That was 30 years ago, and the alarm bells were already ringing.

Bob Edlin: Big bucks are paid for council’s Chief Maori Officer (and his staff).....

Big bucks are paid for council’s Chief Maori Officer (and his staff) – and more are paid for advice on library blessings

The Wellington City Council’s veneration of the Treaty of Waitangi comes at a cost for ratepayers.

It has resulted in the council:

David Farrar: $800k per student!

Two AUT academics write:

Our research used Stats NZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure to follow more than 250,000 school leavers from the 2015 to 2019 cohorts.

We examined whether the first-year fees-free scheme affected participation, programme choice, retention and completion.

Wednesday May 27, 2026 

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Ryan Bridge: Something's not adding up with business investment in this country

If the Post is to believed this morning, the Government is considering a business growth fund whereby some crown agency would pick winners and probably a few losers with financial backing.

Chalmers did this in Australia.