Dr Michael Johnston: Ritual Punishment

Human beings have a tendency to blame and punish others for their misfortunes.

The ancient Greeks turned this tendency into a ritual called pharmakos. When plague, famine or another disaster struck a city, its people drove one of their own out to purge their misfortune. Victims of pharmakos had done nothing to cause the calamity, although they were usually considered socially undesirable.

The election campaign has revived this ancient ritual.

Bruce Cotterill: Foodstuffs breakup plan - Why National’s supermarket policy is a disaster

The Four Square store has been with most of us for our entire lives. With its “Cheeky Charlie” Mr Four Square logo, complete with a grocer’s apron and a pencil behind his ear, excellent range and convenient location, it’s a New Zealand icon that has served us well.

Generations before mine would approach the counter at the front of the shop with a shopping list for the grocer, who would duly put together an order while the customer waited. Our generation saw “self-service” stores and an opportunity to wander the aisles and choose for ourselves.

Richard Prebble: Is breaking up Foodstuffs consistent with centre-right values?

A National Party apologist writing in the Herald this week argued that being in favour of markets does not mean being in favour of big business.

When does National believe a successful company has become too big to enjoy property rights, freedom of contract and the protection of the rule of law?

Professor Robert MacCulloch: Legal letter threatening Auckland University....

Law firm partner who wrote legal letter threatening Auckland University with defamation on behalf of Foodstuffs is also a lecturer .. at Auckland University

Amusingly, when my (now retired) colleague, Tim Hazeldine, wrote at article about the Foodstuffs - Countdown duopoly, Auckland University got threatened with defamation. The letter from Chapman Tripp somehow found its way onto the government's own Commerce Commission Website - you can read it at the end of this link:

Professor Robert MacCulloch: Defamation Threat Letter....

Here's the Supermarket Duopoly Defamation Threat Letter written by Chapman Tripp naming Auckland University Economist Tim Hazeldine.

We mentioned today that, extraordinarily, a lawyers' letter was sent by law firm Chapman Tripp on behalf of its client, Foodstuffs North Island, to Auckland University saying one of its (retired) employees, Emeritus Professor Tim Hazledine, had written an article defaming Foodstuffs. Chapman Tripp requested the article be removed from the University's website. It was called, "Foodstuffs Wants to Merge its Co-ops, but Consumers Need the Opposite". Business Desk reported, "Foodstuffs North Island has made legal moves to silence an academic critical of its proposed merger".

So first, here is the legal letter for your perusal:

Professor Robert MacCulloch: Are partners in Auckland's law firms and NZ Big Business the true enemies of free speech in this country?

For all the volumes of articles written by rightist commentators about how folks like former PM Jacinda Ardern tried to shut down personal freedoms and liberties by lockdowns and tightening laws on hate speech - and how NZ's Universities had been taken over by groups inhibiting the freedom of speech of academics - where has one of the most direct full frontal attacks on free speech come from? From Auckland's Big Law Firms and Big Businesses that use those firms to protect their interests.