Caleb Anderson: The loss of personal sovereignty and the war on common sense

A war has been raging in our universities and institutions for over fifty years. This is a war on common sense, but also on personal sovereignty.

It was interesting to read recent data indicating that approximately 60% of those who enter psychological counselling in the United States exit counselling before the mid-point is reached. I suspect the figure would be largely similar in other Western countries. Approximately 10% complete their therapy. The primary reasons given for non-completion were lack of motivation, and inability to be contacted by the counsellor ... by simply not returning calls.

Lindsay Mitchell: The Death of Personal Responsibility

The following quote typifies the thinking that's rampant across New Zealand's health and education sectors:

"The presentation of comparisons between different ethnic groups is not to provide commentary on the deficits of any particular ethnic group but rather to highlight the deficits of a society that creates, maintains and tolerates these differences."

John McLean: Maori maladies

Why are Māori over-represented in negative stats?

I’ve recently been asked:

“What in your view are the causes of Māori being over-represented in negative stats (poverty, poor health outcomes, crime, imprisonment)?”

I should be flattered that my inquisitor apparently believes I’m qualified to answer such a complex and fraught question.

Clive Bibby: Back to work for some - surfboards for those we pay for.

Yesterday, l made one of my increasingly irregular trips to the big smoke.

Gisborne is 45 minutes away from our humble dwelling which is slowly emerging from the devastation left in the wake of Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle.

Our house is on a hill overlooking the moonscape of silt and debris that has, until recently, been a common sight on adjacent properties here in this river valley. However the signs of recovery evident from the front veranda gives one reason for hope that we are gradually returning to normal - whatever that might look like.

KSK: The Choices We Make Are Our Responsibility

Personal responsibility: remember that quaint idea? It is positively Dickensian these days, when individual problems are made the responsibility of the country at large by way of various blunt instruments. The bottom line is that large numbers of our citizens accept no responsibility for their choices in their lives – it is always someone else’s fault and that someone had damned well better step up and fix it – with more money. And lots more money. And with no accountability required.