Clive Bibby: The Empire strikes back

History may well record the current world wide movement for change, colloquially referred to in many countries as a “Rejection of Woke” or “A right-wing tsunami”, but whatever the terminology, there is no doubt that the result will be a quantum shift in the political landscape of the Free World. 

And who knows where it will end.

KSK: Take the People With You

The measure of intelligence is the ability to change
Albert Einstein

Change is what the country wanted, and change it did, leaving a shell-shocked Labour Party wondering just what had happened. A bolt from the blue – literally. But they knew it was coming, they just couldn’t bring themselves to acknowledge that they had gone too far, too fast, in directions that were not discussed before being set in motion. A bit like booking a flight to Paris and finding yourself landing in Timaru (sorry, Timaruvians.)

John Porter: 3.5 Percent!

Protests. They are becoming more prevalent these days. Covid vaccination issues and current government policy are now spawning significant protest activity.

What are they saying about our country, are they relevant and more importantly, are they an instrument of change?

Certainly, Maori land occupations are not a new phenomenon and mostly seem to have achieved their objectives.

Approximately 70,000 Labour Party supporters and trade union members staged the largest protest in New Zealand in 1938 on the eve of the general election. Labour won with 56% of the vote and went on to increase wage rates, launch a public works programmes and state-housing construction. They also passed the Social Security Act 1938 that greatly expanded the scope of the welfare state. That act introduced our free health service and implemented benefits for the elderly, sick and unemployed.