Geoff Parker: Josie Pagani's Maori Ward & General Propaganda

In her disjointed article Josie Pagani promotes the dark forces that strive to undermine New Zealand’s precious democracy.

In my view Pagani pins her argument for Maori wards or ‘power-sharing’ on the Treaty of Waitangi, but the fact is that there is nothing in the Treaty (any version or translation) that speaks of separate racial representation in governing bodies.

The Treaty was a simple 3 clause document which simply said:

Josie Pagani: Don’t waste a good crisis, fix productivity

“Productivity isn't everything, but in the long run it's almost everything.” Left-leaning economist Paul Krugman wants us to worry about it more. Without it wages do not increase, we build less stuff, fund fewer health treatments, and learn less.

This is a column about productivity. No, wait! Don't go. I admit, the word “productivity” sounds less cuddly than “wellbeing” – a word we hear too often, but only Treasury and life coaches can define. See also “Circular Economy” and “Mindfulness”.

Productivity refers to a real concept: The amount of valuable products and services created with the stuff we put in. Productivity growth is about getting more from fewer inputs.

Josie Pagani: So, you want to win the election?

“Who do you think will win?”

The question is an occupational hazard of bloviating about politics in public forums. I usually answer declaratively: I don't know.

The quest for predictions recalls the Nobel laureate economist Kenneth Arrow, who did a tour of duty as a weather forecaster for the United States Army during World War II. He was ordered to evaluate mathematical models for predicting the weather one month ahead, which he duly did, and found them all worthless. Informed of his findings, his superiors sent back another order: “The Commanding General is well aware the forecasts are useless. However, he needs them anyway for planning purposes.”

This late in the piece, we usually have a strong view about how the vote will go. The change of prime minister and the reset policy agenda has made the horse race closer.

Josie Pagani: Condemn today’s colonisers as well as those from the past

Like predictions, moral clarity about the past is simpler.

In real time, stories get muddled and the narrative of history has not emerged from a jumble of storylines.

Rawiri Waititi, Te Pāti Māori co-leader, called the British royal family “war criminals” last week, and demanded that King Charles III pay for his family's colonising past.

Apologies and reparation for past crimes matter. But if we are going to have moral clarity about colonisation in history then we must have clarity about it in the present.

Josie Pagani: Who pays for our climate policies?

No, thank YOU Tesla buyers for saving us.

The EV subsidies going to brand-new Teslas alone total $80 million. Every dollar subsidising the world’s richest toddler, Bubba Musk, is a dollar that hasn’t been spent on, say, hiring more bus drivers and paying them well. Or buying a train track inspection.

Reporters this week established that the recipients of EV subsidies live almost exclusively in leafy suburbs. People who live in struggle street do not buy brand new $80,000 motors, or even relatively affordable brand new Toyotas.

And it is not just an $8000 handout to buy a new Tesla. They also get an ongoing $2000 a year top-up bonus of unpaid road user taxes. EVs still use the roads, don’t they?

Josie Pagani: Why banning hate speech doesn’t get rid of the hate

The things that make you feel good in politics don't necessary do good. But boy, are they morally satisfying.

Legislating to stop hate speech. Using a “hecklers’ veto” to run Posie Parker out of town. Victories against hate. Job done.

I've done my share. My student comrades were on a high after we heckled and shut down a National Front meeting outside our UK Labour Party conference in the 1980s. We didn’t change minds. Just the venue.

Shutting down people who are hateful feels right. But counter-intuitively, banning hateful words is not the best way to stop the hate.

Josie Pagani: Yes minister, health is in crisis

The crisis in our health service is worthy of a crisis response, but it's not getting it, Rob Campbell, the sacked Health New Zealand-Te Whatu Ora chair, said this week.

I went to hear him speak in Wellington, drawn perhaps to a heretic because heresy usually has the most profound observations.

Decades ago, Rob Campbell was the darling of the left, a charismatic unionist with the intellect to take apart the establishment. From unions, he became a champion of an economy in which markets are made to work for the people.

It is revealing what people do when their leadership jobs end.

Josie Pagani: Jacinda Ardern resigns: What was the point of all that?

It was meant to be the most transformational government ever. Now, Jacinda Ardern's Labour government has ended. There was no transformation.

It took courage to resign from a job that is a privilege, and hard to walk away from. She deserves full credit for making the tough call, and extra credit for doing the right thing once she knew her heart was no longer in it.

It's unclear why she made the call now. Polls showing her approval rating steadily dropping can’t have helped. No one enjoys being disliked.

Her reputation internationally will remain high. An undefeated leader who delivered the first majority MMP government sounds a lot better than the leader who lost a third term.