Ardern’s new tough talk
There was a measure yesterday of just how frustrated the Government must be over Covid rule breakers. The Prime Minister began her press conference yesterday...
Luxon clashes with transport chief over harbour bridge
Former Air New Zealand CEO and new National MP Christopher Luxon drew a prickly response from the Government's "Mr Fixit", Sir Brian Roche, yesterday...
Trans Tasman bubble gets closer
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern appeared yesterday to open the door a nudge on the trans-Tasman bubble. The bubble had been semi-promised for the first quarter...
A bluer shade of green
In her most revealing speech as National Party leader, Judith Collins, appears to be setting the party against a whole list of current Government...
Living with covid
By keeping Auckland at Alert Level Two till at least Monday the Government has enabled Auckland businesses to claim subsidies if their incomes are...
Covid debate becoming ideological
There is a growing divide between the Opposition parties and the Government over management of the border. That divide is now starting to be defined...
Why the Health Ministry won’t do daily testing
The pressure is growing to have the Ministry of Health approve saliva testing for border workers. One test, available in New Zealand and currently being...
The advisors behind today’s lockdown decision
The Prime Minister and senior Ministers only on Friday warned top Auckland business leaders the fight against Covid was far from over. They were dramatically...
Waitangi; challenging sovereignty
In response to growing calls for more Maori control of institutions which affect Maori, the Prime Minister yesterday suggested she was considering expanding the...
Brash loses Maori wards campaign
The move by the Government yesterday to end referenda on Councils establishing Maori wards is a big --- possibly fatal --- defeat for Don...
Collins promises to be kind as she points National to the centre
National’s Leader Judith Collins’ State of the Nation speech yesterday contained some surprising revamps of some traditional National policies. And she is promising more. She told...
Testing the limts – the Northland Covid-19 case
While the Government tried to call for calm yesterday over the Northland Covid-19 case, the National Party and the Australian Government did exactly the...
The Christchurch Royal Commission – a contrary view: Comprehensive; not sufficiently. Magisterial; perhaps...
by Jim RolfeJim Rolfe has had a career in both the public and university sector. He started his working life in the New Zealand...
Big sister Jacinda
Two images seem to sum this weird political year up. One was a Facebook post on March 26, the first day of the Alert Level...
Robertson beats Treasury’s forecasts
Go back eight months; the country was in lockdown, and Treasury produced a series of economic scenarios sketching how Covid might play out. The most...
