Yvonne Van Dongen: What Should We Be Talking About - And Aren't?

A topic even more inflammatory than gender.

The latest report from the Integrity Institute on the 2025 Acumen Edelman Trust Barometer made me think of the final question that Triggernometry podcast hosts Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster always ask their guests: what should we be talking about that we aren’t talking about?

The Acumen Edelman Trust Barometer is an annual global survey of confidence in institutions. New Zealand’s 2025 results are not good. Trust in government is down to 45 per cent. Business sits at 54 per cent. And trust in the media has fallen to 35 per cent.

DTNZ: Trump raises China tariffs to 125%, implements 90-day pause for other countries

US President Donald Trump has raised tariffs on Chinese imports to 125%, up from 104%, effective immediately, while authorising a 90-day pause for other countries affected by new duties.

The move follows sweeping tariffs imposed on dozens of trading partners, triggering retaliatory measures from China, the European Union, and Canada.

Michael Reddell: Tariff madness and monetary policy

We’ve seen this morning the latest step up in the Trump-initiated trade war, with the additional 50 per cent tariffs imposed on imports from China. If the tariff madness persists – but in fact even if were wound back in some places (eg some of the particularly absurd tariffs on supposed US allies in east Asia, or 48 per cent tariffs on Madagascar’s vanilla) – it is going to be extremely damaging to global economic activity in the (probably protracted) transition.

Mike's Minute: Should the Government force you to buy wool?

I am conflicted.

In the age of tariffs and free trade and making stuff that the world wants, how is it a Government can then argue that you have to buy wool?

If you are redecorating, or building, or refurbishing a major chunk of your consideration will be around cost.

Ele Ludemann: “Ridden with flaky ideology & identity politics”

Green MP Benjamin Doyle has belatedly fronted media:

Green Party MP Benjamin Doyle has returned to Parliament saying their social media posts never had a sexual meaning and they didn’t believe they had done anything wrong.

However, Doyle, who uses they/them pronouns, recognised they were “politically naive” in not deleting their private Instagram account ahead of entering Parliament last year, something the Green Party advised them to do. However, they had not expected it would lead to “baseless, personal, and violent” attacks. . .

David Farrar: Norm breaking should be condemned in NZ, not just the US

One of the major criticisms (which I share) is that Donald Trump has broken many of the norms of politics in the US, and he undermines institutional legacy.

In New Zealand, Te Pati Māori do the same. But their norm breaking is not called out to even a fraction of the scale Trump’s is.

Matua Kahurangi blogs:

Breaking Views Update: Week of 6.4.25

Thursday April 10, 2025 

News:
Review calls for more resources for ‘strained’ Waitangi Tribunal
The Waitangi Tribunal needs more panel members to deal with an increased workload caused be a slew of urgent and long-running kaupapa inquiries, a review recommends.

Andrew Moran: Trump Tariffs Bring the World to the Negotiating Table

The art of the deal could be paying off.

Is it 1995 all over again? A 30-year-old video featuring a young Donald Trump lambasting the US government’s auto deal with Japan has resurfaced, with the billionaire criticizing Tokyo’s unfair trade practices and the administration’s abysmal negotiating skills. “In Japan, everything’s restricted, restricted, restricted. We’re sitting but can’t come in, and all of a sudden, this country folds,” he said. Trump declared he would adopt “a much harder stand” and “a much more difficult stand.” Thirty years later, it is the same old real estate mogul – and Trump tariffs are producing the intended results.

Dr Eric Crampton: With regime uncertainty, we don’t know how lucky we are, mate

About a quarter century ago, my to-be wife introduced me to a card game called Flux. It was popular among the computer science and engineering students in Pittsburgh. Those students, who spent their days agonising over the logic of the code and structures they were designing, needed something a little different. Something so unpredictable that it defied planning and logic. Something where they didn’t have to think, because thinking couldn’t help much.

Kerre Woodham: Policing is a community-minded calling

Now the police have been in the spotlight in the past few weeks. It should have been criticism, with Wellington Central MP Tamatha Paul's comments and the criticism of police pulling back from attending mental health call outs, but in fact, the attention has highlighted just how much our men and women in blue are valued.

Gary Judd KC: Move to disallow part of tikanga Regs

Automatic disallowance in a few weeks

This is in today’s Parliamentary Order Paper.

JC: Winston Shows up the Woke Greens

You have to hand it to Winston: he is not only the oldest but also the wiliest politician in parliament. He treats those on the left as political cannon fodder and the media in much the same way. Winston has no time for the woke brigade, the DEI nonsense or indeed their utterances about climate change and matters of race. Hence his remarkable rise in the preferred prime minister rankings in the latest Taxpayers’ Union Curia poll: up 4.3 per cent to nearly 13 per cent.

Sir Bob Jones: Trump Trumped

Trump is a world-class ignoramus.

Prior to taking office in January, he claimed he’d sort out the Ukraine situation on day one. On that undertaking Putin played him like a fiddle.

Meanwhile his tariffs proposition have left global money markets in turmoil. He dismisses that now, after the event, as “medicine”, necessary to “reform” the system.

Wednesday April 9, 2025 

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Alan Jones on climate change

Alan Jones says climate change is the biggest hoax ever known to man

Click to view

Bob Edlin: Taking Stock of Trump’s liberal use of falsehoods....

Taking Stock of Trump’s liberal use of falsehoods during the Liberalisation Day declaration that has tariffied the globe

Business writer Rob Stock applied a New Zealand filter to his examination of President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” charts.

He winkled out documents from the US International Trade Administration which showed Trump’s “big lie” about the tariffs New Zealand levies on imports from the US.

A big lie from Trump?

Ele Ludemann: Getting from no to yes

The RMA has made it far to easy for those with the power to say no, and far too long for them to say yes.

That is going to change:

Professor Robert MacCulloch: NZ Initiative Chairman Partridge gets his international economics wrong.....

NZ Initiative Chairman Partridge gets his international economics wrong. Its worrying given the PM and Finance Minister's relationship with that outfit.

Usually commenting on a fringe think-tank would be a waste of time. But its worth doing so in the case of the NZ Initiative since its former Senior Economist Matt Burgess is the Prime Minister's Chief Economic Adviser, the Finance Minister served on the Initiative's Board and I used to see the PM at their meetings when Air NZ was a Member.

Mike's Minute: Is America now a global laughing stock?

Ken Langone started a small operation called Home Depot. 

These days he is a billionaire and major donor to the Trump campaign and Republican Party. 

He is, like all the rest of us looking on, incredulous, or furious, or in disbelief, or confused.

David Farrar: Labour looking to seize Wellington back from the Greens

The Herald reports:

Former Labour leader Andrew Little has confirmed he is considering a tilt at the Wellington mayoralty.

This means he is standing. I have little doubt he would crush Whanau. Little would at least be a competent Mayor. However I’m not sure Little would bring the fiscal discipline to Council that is so badly needed. 20% rates increases are obscene.