JC: Leftist Bias Is Here To Stay

The two public broadcasters in this country, Radio New Zealand and Television New Zealand, both had a chance to redeem themselves recently and, unsurprisingly, neither of them took it. These two organisations, that we the taxpayers have the privilege of funding are forced to fund, appear reluctant to change their ways: they are hotbeds for left-wing journalist activism and seem happy to keep it that way.

Tuesday December 23, 2025 

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David Farrar: NZ and India agree an FTA

I was sceptical when Christopher Luxon said prior to the election that he thought they could do a free trade agreement with India within three years. India has been a notoriously challenging country to do FTAs with, and the relationship between governments was quite poor under Labour. The thought of a comprehensive FTA so quickly was somewhere between ambitious and unlikely.

But Todd McClay, and no doubt many MFAT staff, have delivered and an agreement has been reached – in just two years. I have little doubt that the PM’s personal commitment to the FTA, alongside his trips to India, made a critical difference also.

Key aspects are:

Ramesh Thakur: Appeasement 0, Jew Hatred 15

As, slowly and painfully, we come to terms with what happened on Bondi Beach on Sunday, I divide my reactions into four parts: one question each addressed to the Prime Minister and the virulent anti-Israeli protestors, a comment on the Prime Minister’s leadership failings, and an anticipatory reaction to charges of Islamophobia.

Dave Patterson: The Greatest Threat in Western Hemisphere? Transnational Terrorists

The single largest threat to the US in the Western Hemisphere is transnational terrorist criminal organizations, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. This point of view is consistent with the US National Security Strategy that places the Western Hemisphere, America’s backyard, as a priority for geostrategic emphasis. To that end, the Trump administration has adopted a robust and many-faceted set of actions to address the threat.

David Farrar: Its very clear Tamihere is the true leader of Te Pāti Māori

The Post reports:

Indeed, she says in her sworn affidavit that Tamihere had been chairing the weekly caucus meetings of MPs in Parliament since September. And it was he who sent Kapa-Kingi an ‘ultimatum’ on her overspending that sent the simmering issue into overdrive.

To have the party president chair caucus instead of the leader or a co-leader is unprecedented. Chairing caucus is a major part of the role of the leader.

Kerre Woodham: Ask not what your country can do for you

New Zealand Inc. is in trouble and it's on us —you and me— to fix it. Not politicians, not economists, not even our blessed farmers who've got us out of trouble time and time again – it is on us, New Zealand voters.

It doesn't matter whether we vote left or right, red, blue, green, yellow, or black. We all have to give our political parties the cojones they need to enact the policies that will save this country. Treasury's been warning us for years now, decades. Current government policies —whichever government has been in— are not sustainable.

Kevin: Thoughts for the Year

As it’s the end of the year I’d thought I’d do a ‘thoughts of the year’ post – a list of things and events that were important to me. So, in no particular order:

The Murder of Charlie Kirk

Here, it’s not so much his murder, which was a tragedy, but the reaction of his detractors: from outright mocking to lying and taking what he said out context. I really have no words for the staggering level of vitriol, although I’m not sure if even vitriol is the right word.

Monday December 22, 2025 

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Damien Grant: New Zealand deserves better than Nicola Willis’ plan

It is four sleeps to Christmas. A time of make believe where we embrace the wonder of Santa Claus to delight children and ourselves.

Make believe is a powerful element of the human condition. The willingness to embrace an illusion is a pre-requisite to enjoy a movie, magic show or a marriage.

Insights From Social Media: Dame Anne Salmond.....

Dame Anne Salmond - Leading the Charge of New Zealand Romantic Thinking - by Colinxy

The Romantic Cloak

Few figures embody the Romantic impulse in New Zealand’s intellectual life more vividly than Dame Anne Salmond. Her writings, media appearances, and social media engagements reveal a deep commitment to cultural relativism and poststructuralist thought. She venerates the theorists of fragmentation and ambiguity, and in doing so, positions herself as a defender of what is known as the “Noble Savage.” Within this framework, behaviours that might otherwise be condemned are excused if they emerge from her preferred cultural narrative, while anything associated with European ancestry is treated with suspicion—except, of course, when it comes to herself and her academic circle.

David Farrar: Quite a few green shoots!

Business NZ says:

After a prolonged period of stagnation and negative per capita growth, the New Zealand economy is now expected to expand at just under 3% per annum through to 2027.

Both official and forward-looking indicators point to a steady improvement in the economic outlook as we enter 2026. Key indicators of growth include:

Graham Adams: Maori nationalism takes a hammering in 2025

At the end of 2024, Māori nationalists were riding high in their quest to assert a special place in the nation’s laws and policy.

In November, the video of Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clark leading a haka in Parliament and ripping up a copy of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill racked up hundreds of millions of views worldwide.

James Fite: Operation Hawkeye Strike - Trump Responds to ISIS Attack in Syria

The president promised there would be retaliation.

One week ago today, two American soldiers and a civilian translator were killed in an ambush attack in Syria, presumably perpetrated by an ISIS terrorist, according to intelligence reports. President Donald Trump promised “serious retaliation.” Yesterday afternoon, we found out exactly what that meant. At 4 p.m. Eastern on Friday, December 19, US Central Command launched Operation Hawkeye Strike. A combination of fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery bombarded more than 70 targets at multiple locations across central Syria, targeting known ISIS infrastructure and weapon sites.

Gary Judd KC: Bondi, Tarrant, victimhood, faith, the primitive, relativism, cultural boundaries of knowledge

The attack on members of Sydney’s Jewish community by the father and son one writer has dubbed the Bondi Barbarians is a shockingly horrific event. It is emerging that the shooters were devotees of ISIS who had just returned from Mindanao, a Muslim outpost in the predominantly Catholic Philippines. It is supposed they may have gone there to be trained for the terrorist acts committed just days after their return to Sydney. Reports indicate possession of ISIS regalia and association with known ISIS members in Sydney.

Dr Oliver Hartwich: From blueprints to building

After many difficult years, 2025 felt different. It was not easier. The economy remained stagnant and the reform agenda demanded hard choices. But attitudes shifted. New Zealand stopped merely diagnosing its problems and started taking practical steps to solve them.

Bob Edlin: Here are the numbers the PM didn’t have at his finger tips....

Here are the numbers the PM didn’t have at his finger tips – but we are still looking for his immutable laws of economics

The PM – it is fair to suppose – did not have the latest stats by his side when he was questioned by Chris Hipkins in Parliament the other day.

On the other hand, he should have had a rough idea of what has been going on in the labour market but he was not of a mind to admit it.

And so he ducked the question.

DTNZ: NZ and Japan sign new defence and security agreements

New Zealand and Japan have signed two new agreements aimed at strengthening defence cooperation and information sharing between the two countries.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins confirmed the arrangements following meetings in Tokyo.

Sunday December 21, 2025 

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Net Zero Watch Samizdat: All I want for Christmas is cheap power

UK

Miliband to miss clean power target by three years

Despite all the pain for British billpayers, a new report warns Miliband is set to miss his 2030 clean power target by three years. There’s not a hope in hell Miliband meets his target for 2030, or by 2033 for that matter.