Brendan O'Neill: The glorious Irish revolt against globalist insanity

There’s nothing like a drivers’ revolt to tease out the classism of the new elites. Then Canadian PM Justin Trudeau invoked the wartime Emergencies Act against truckers who had the temerity to agitate against Covid-19 vaccine mandates. European farmers who rose up against an eco-hike in fuel taxes were furiously denounced as ‘far right’ by the gated ponces who rule over them. And now in Ireland, the cossetted moralists of Dublin 4 have been roused into a frenzy of anti-worker bigotry by that most awful of sights: farmers, truckers, cabbies and others protesting over soaring fuel prices.

Dr Frederick Attenborough: New Hate Crime Laws in Ireland Came Into Force on December 31st

The provisions of the new Irish ‘hate crime’ law come into effect yesterday after Minister for Justice Helen McEntee signed a commencement order, the Department of Justice has said.

The Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024 was passed by the Oireachtas in October and introduces harsher sentences for crimes where the perpetrator is motivated by hatred of people with protected characteristics.

Brendan O'Neill: The unhinged crusade to find Israel guilty of genocide

Ireland wants to change the definition of genocide in order to find the Jewish State guilty of it.

It’s not often I feel ashamed to be Irish. But today I do. For the Irish government is plotting something so slippery it boggles the mind. It says it will intervene in South Africa’s cranky, failing legal case against Israel and call for a ‘broader’ definition of genocide. It is worried that a ‘narrow interpretation of what constitutes genocide’ is letting Israel get away with murder. Strip away the legalese, prick the Dublin elite’s outsized view of itself as the plucky saviour of Palestine, and what we have here is a government calling for the laws of war to be tweaked in order that the world’s only Jewish nation might finally get its comeuppance.

David Thunder: New Hate Speech Laws Scrapped in Ireland

The Irish Government has announced it is scrapping its plans to introduce significant updates to Ireland’s existing hate speech laws, as there is not enough support for the proposed legislation. Remarkably, the legislation had already passed the lower house of the Irish Parliament by an overwhelming margin (114 in favour, 10 against) in April 2023, but began to stall in the Senate as its more problematic features came to light. It had gained international notoriety when it came under fire from X’s CEO, Elon Musk.

Brendan O'Neill: Ireland and the terrible truth about wokeness

Ireland’s latest referendum exposed just how zealous and reckless the elites’ culture war has become.

Hands down my favourite part of the referendum revolt in Ireland last week was the discovery of ‘miraculous medals’ among the ballot papers.

Peter Dunne: Grand Coalition

In the wake of last week's election some have asked why no consideration has been given to a grand coalition between National and Labour to limit the influence of ACT and New Zealand First. After all, they say, grand coalitions have worked in other countries, so why not in New Zealand, given that the differences between the two major parties often appear so wafer thin?

Tim Hurdle: How NZ could be the overnight service centre to the world

When the All Blacks front up in France, we have an early start. As any Kiwi sports fan knows, we are often on the wrong side of the planet when it comes to watching the game.

The same applies in global business, out of sync with the business hours of major economic centres like Europe and the eastern United States.

The London Stock Exchange opens at 8pm our time. The New York Stock Exchange opens at 1.30am.

We can turn this challenge into an opportunity and become the after-hours service centre for the global economy; leveraging our unique geographic position to provide professional services overnight to the economic and financial powerhouses of Europe and America. Our trade should be measured in data and PDF files.

Oliver Hartwich: For richer or poorer - Kiwis really need to get out more

In New Zealand’s public policy circles these days, you cannot escape the buzz about Ireland. Whether in the corridors of power, at business gatherings, or even casual coffee catch-ups, Ireland is the talk of the town.

That may seem strange. It is not St Patrick’s Day, and the Rugby World Cup has not kicked off yet. But the reason is a recent business delegation visit to the Emerald Isle – a trip our organisation, The New Zealand Initiative, organised.

Bryce Wilkinson: Benchmarking New Zealand's economic performance against Ireland's

New Zealanders should not be too proud to learn from others.

In 2017, The New Zealand Initiative led 36 senior business leaders to visit Switzerland for this purpose. Critical points of difference that emerged were its direct and participatory democracy, devolved government, strong vocational training system and flexible labour market. Both its education system and its devolved government were instructive for New Zealand.

Bryce Wilkinson: The case for attracting foreign investment

New Zealand’s current legislative approach to overseas investment is a mess.

It is a mess because it does not focus on what is important – facilitating strong connections to the rest of the world while protecting New Zealand’s sovereignty.

New Zealand’s prosperity depends on its ability to access overseas markets, technologies, knowhow, and capital. We must compete for export markets and capital, and not just with Australia.

Sean Plunket talks to Oliver Hartwich - Is New Zealand shutting up shop?

Sean Plunket talks to Oliver Hartwich from the NZ Initiative on The Platform - Is New Zealand shutting up shop?  Lessons that can be learn't from Ireland's robust economy.

 

Roger Partridge: Irish luck or Kiwi good fortune?

According to American folklore, Irish gold miners were notorious for striking it lucky. Yet, historian Edward O’Donnell claims the phrase ‘The luck of the Irish’ comes with a hint of derision. It’s as if to say, ‘Only by sheer luck, as opposed to brains, could these fools succeed.’

A hundred years or so later, the Irish are still accused of dumb luck. At the end of the 20th century, Ireland leapt up the OECD’s GDP-per-capita ranks to sit alongside a handful of nations at the top of the table.

Depending on who you ask, this was down to Ireland’s good fortune in having the European Union subsidise its infrastructure. Or to Ireland’s luck in being an English-speaking access point for foreign firms wanting to do business with Europe. Or perhaps more scandalously, it was because Ireland had the gall to set low corporate tax rates – and the luck to get away with it.

Bryce Wilkinson: Productivity: Wot about Ireland?

Background

Yesterday the Treasury hosted a seminar on New Zealand’s lagging productivity growth rate. It shared the slot with the New Zealand Productivity Commission (NZPC) and Motu, a Wellington-based research institute.

Attendees could (and many did) pick up a new NZPC paper, “Productivity by the numbers”.

It was data heavy, with 54 charts, but light on solutions.

Roger Partridge: Foreign Investment - Ireland's secret financial formula is not so secret

Seeking Ireland’s secrets

Few countries feel so similar as New Zealand and the Republic of Ireland.

We are both island nations with much larger neighbours. Each of us has a population of about 5 million. We were both colonised by Britain. Consequently, English is our shared language, with only a per cent or two speaking the country’s first language natively. We lead the world in pasture farming.

And this year, we seem destined to meet in the knockout stage of the rugby world cup in France.

But, until the early 1990s, Ireland and New Zealand shared another less attractive characteristic. Both countries languished in the bottom half of the OECD’s GDP-per-capita league table.

Dr David Lillis: Reflections on reading today's media

 

The Truth Hurts but Lies Hurt More

As we digest our daily online and televised news, we may conjecture whether humanity will in time become more humane and more tolerant. Is it too much to expect kinder, more-forbearing society in the future? Perhaps we will evolve to become more forgiving and inclusive but we have reason to fear that people will continue to fight each other and grandstand on behalf of their own groups – their own sports team, religion, country or their own skin color. 

Is it also naïve to hope for balanced media; one that provides critical detail without attempting to force particular perspectives or agendas on the public? Of course, it is very hard to gauge the extent to which the world’s media influences, either for good or for the worse. But, surely, more balanced, unbiased media would help to reduce distrust and contribute significantly to good will.