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What It Means for New Zealand and the Royal Commission Phase 2 Mathematical Fiction Used to Justify Mandates, Misinform Policy, and Silence Critics by Katie Ashby-Koppens For years, Kiwis were told, repeatedly, that COVID-19 vaccines saved millions of lives. In fact, [...]

by Dr Eric Crampton The government is worried about the harms some youths experience on social media. The Prime Minister has announced his support for age limits. Social media platforms would face penalties if those under 16 made it onto [...]

by Peter Dunne That Oppositions do not win elections, but governments lose them is a well-established political maxim. Elections are essentially a judgement on the performance of the government of the day. Seldom does the capability of the Opposition to [...]

by Roger Partridge Finance Minister, Nicola Willis described last week’s meeting with Fonterra’s chief executive as “routine.” But routine meetings do not usually begin with public promises that a CEO will “front up” over pricing. Nor do they require clarification [...]

by Dr Muriel Newman Forty-two councils are set to hold pivotal referenda on the future of Maori seats in October, yet few New Zealanders appear to grasp just how high the stakes actually are. Proponents of Maori sovereignty understand the [...]

by Graham Adams After NZ First leapfrogged Act last month in a Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll — which led to much media excitement about the party’s rising fortunes — it seemed odd for Winston Peters to be quite so tetchy with [...]

by Zoran Rakovic There is a particular kind of madness that comes not with rage, but with the quiet clarity of a staff report. It arrives in a pdf, decorated with the warm tones of cultural respect, laced with enough [...]

by Simon O'Connor The Stuff headline (below) can be best described as a lie. To date, Stuff has shown little interest in presenting a range of views on this complicated conflict, and this call made at the start of the week will [...]

by John Robertson New Zealand is being culturally hijacked — and we’re all meant to smile, nod, and pay for it. Let’s stop lying to ourselves. This forced bilingualism isn’t “inclusion.” It’s a political power game. A language spoken fluently [...]

by Rachel Stewart For many people when they hear the word ‘surrogacy’ they conjure up images of a long-standing relationship between a sweet female friend and a smiling well-groomed couple who have made an adult arrangement that she provide the [...]

by Lindsay Perigo Always so much to have a perspective on. Another insane moronnial goes on a shooting spree in New York. Bad news. OMBA strides Europe like a colossus. Great news, great results.  But I shall start this week [...]

by Michael Bassett On Monday 28 July there was a strange story in the New Zealand Herald about advice that had been given to the Attorney-General, Judith Collins, by her officers. They had told their minister that the Justice minister’s [...]

by Ian Miller In what we now understand were completely theatrical attempts to control the Covid-19 pandemic, experts demanded and politicians mandated all sorts of intrusive policies. Mask mandates were one of the most obvious. School closures. Lockdowns. Curfews. Capacity [...]

by Simon O'Connor In recent days, the government has announced its intention to reform electoral laws. There are several proposed changes, but one of note is the intention to end election day registration – that is, the ability of someone [...]

by Ani O'Brien So, they’re flipping the words on the cover of the New Zealand passport… again. New Zealand is to return to sit above Aotearoa. Cue the headlines. Cue the outrage. Cue the proverbial dick measuring. Cue the race-baiting. [...]

by Zoran Rakovic Selwyn District – a semi-rural patch of Canterbury where life rolls along at 100 km/h (give or take a few over the limit). Enter the Council, armed with a plan to tinker with speed limits. It’s a [...]

by Peter Williams We shared a pleasant lunch with some newish acquaintances yesterday at the home of a couple we’ve recently met. They live about half an hour’s drive away near Alexandra. We were all of a mature age, what [...]

by Dr Will Jones Covid vaccines saved far fewer lives than first thought, a major new analysis from Stanford’s Professor John Ioannidis and team has concluded – closer to 2.5 million than the 14 million claimed by the WHO in [...]

by Sarah Cowgill Why is the job market closing down for the Gen Z worker? Recent college graduates are discovering that reality does, in fact, bite. A recent poll by Intelligent found that human resources managers aren’t thrilled with the [...]

by Zoran Rakovic In the Selwyn District Council's standing orders—those arcane pages that tell you when to stand, when to sit, and precisely how to whisper politely into the void—there lies a curious clause. It forbids members of the public [...]

by Peter Williams It was a good try but Winston, you’re at least five years too late, possibly much longer. The New Zealand First leader made a not so subtle point during Question Time this week when responding to a [...]

by PLUG This letter is written by P.L.U.G. on behalf of all citizens of New Zealand, who are concerned at the lack of information, the misinformation and fear about co-governance. What is co-governance? Co-governance in todays’ context increasingly means the [...]

by Rachel Stewart From May next year American TV icon ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ will be just that – late. The announcement was made by Colbert on air last week, and on this week’s show he’s a Democratic [...]

by Prof Barbara Oakley When students across New Zealand say they are not learning anything at school, we should listen. After nearly six months speaking with New Zealand’s schools and universities, I have witnessed firsthand how this nation has become [...]

by Peter Williams There are minorities and there are minorities. Males at 49.7 percent of the New Zealand population are a minority. Māori are 17.8 percent of us. Those of Asian ethnicity are 17.3 percent. In the 2023 Census only [...]

by Michael Bassett Only a little more than two months to go until local body elections. Always, triennially, on the second Saturday in October. And there is so much hanging on the outcome this time. As voters, we need to [...]

by Simon O'Connor The Druze of Syria are currently being attacked and killed and yet much of the world remains silent or panglossian (there’s a word for people to look up!) that the new Syrian regime will be able to [...]

Margaret Thatcher used to say, "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of Other People's Money." Socialist governments have taken to thinking they can ward off any ensuing electoral calamity by lowering the voting age, knowing how [...]

by Thomas Scrimgeour Local government elections are fast approaching. When turnout inevitably proves dismal, the chorus of pious suggestions to make voting even easier will grow louder: Go digital. Launch public information campaigns. Make it 16. Keep postal voting open [...]

by Dr Muriel Newman In spite of the Coalition’s best efforts to create jobs and boost economic growth, State dependency continues to grow with the latest June 2025 statistics showing over 12 percent of the working age population receive welfare. [...]

by Clive Bibby As a semi retired farmer used to long days and sleepless nights looking after the livestock and crops grown on the property, recent episodes of the Country Calendar TV programme show just why we keep coming back [...]

by Peter Williams Stats NZ have laid it out in the clearest and simplest way possible. Payments required by your local authority have pushed annual inflation to its highest level in twelve months. “The largest upwards contributor to the annual [...]

by Barrie Davis There has been a concerted effort since at least the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 to convince us that ‘the Crown’ and by extension We the people have something to atone for regarding the colonization of New [...]

by Peter Williams The Taxpayers' Union has been alerting supporters about the "Te Mana o te Wai" (literally meaning the mana of the water) requirements, which are still applicable to local councils' environmental planning/consenting. It is becoming clear that the Coalition [...]

by Nick Clark After decades of planning gridlock, the government has promised to put property rights at the heart of New Zealand’s resource management system. But will its latest reforms deliver lasting change or just patch up the mess we [...]

by Eric Crampton The Regulatory Standards Bill before Parliament provides no enforceable legal right to compensation for the cost of regulation. It only suggests that compensation can be warranted when regulation takes or impairs property. A sovereign Parliament remains free [...]

by Nick Clark After decades of planning gridlock, the government has promised to put property rights at the heart of New Zealand’s resource management system. But will its latest reforms deliver lasting change or just patch up the mess we [...]

by Richard Prebble Mr. Albert K. Barume, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, based in Geneva, wrote to ministers alleging that the Regulatory Standards bill “fails to uphold the principles of partnership, active protection, and self‑determination [...]

by Peter Dunne In 2013 then Prime Minister John Key raised the ire of Wellington’s community and business leaders when he told an Auckland audience that the capital city was “dying” and that “we don't know how to turn it [...]

by Roger Partridge Revolutions conjure images of violent uprisings, the storming of institutions, and the forcible overthrow of existing orders. But constitutional foundations can be destroyed through more subtle means. When judges discard long-established constitutional principles and remake the law [...]

It’s only words, and words are all I have to take your heart away. And the dramatic rise of NZ First in the polls and into the third most popular party spot, has all been done using words. But what [...]

I've been in Heaven all week for several reasons, one being this message from a young and musical friend: "I'm downloading the 1956 movie Serenade with Mario Lanza and will watch it today, I saw the clip of him singing Ave [...]

by Dr Muriel Newman All around New Zealand there’s a growing concern that a cultural takeover of our country is underway. It’s a problem that’s being exacerbated by the weaponisation of “Te Tiriti o Waitangi”, and the domination of the [...]

by Mary Hobbs The future depends on what we do in the present. — Mahatma Gandhi The First Reading of the Gene Technology Bill 2024 was introduced to Parliament on 17 December 2024, by National MP, Judith Collins. It made this day [...]

by John Bell A few weeks ago, South Canterbury’s “Courier” newspaper featured a report of a welcome for the new Principal at the Waihi School, a primary school situated in the rural town of Winchester, a little north of Timaru. [...]

by Simon O'Connor My father’s side of the family is Irish and proudly so. I am actually an Irish citizen - and before anyone freaks out that my time in Parliament was illegitimate, I am also a New Zealand citizen. [...]

by Zoran Rakovic  If you wanted to invent a financial arrangement capable of mimicking the perils of subprime mortgages, municipal corruption, and Soviet-style mutual collapse—all in one—New Zealand has quietly succeeded. It’s called the Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA). Never [...]

The Texas flash flood waters are receding and is slowly revealing some truly venomous snakes that it’s hard to even imagine were there before this happened. Unfortunately I know a bit about this. In 2004, my partner and I had [...]

by Peter Williams Ah, the nonsense of corporate behaviour. I’ve been a subscriber to Sky TV pretty much since it started 35 years ago. Currently I have a package of Sky Starter, Sky Entertainment and Sky Sport which costs $100.99 [...]

There was some riveting rugby at the weekend. The All Blacks, starring Barrett, Barrett and Barrett, co-starring Will Jordan and the TMO, beat France in Dunedin, 31 to 27. Not very convincing, you might say, even allowing for the TMO [...]

by Tim Wilson All of us recognise a good old-fashioned bank heist. A malcontent (moustachioed or not) saunters into a bank. Weapons are brandished, patrons hit the deck, and money gets chucked into a sack. Maniacal laughter follows, then police [...]

by Peter Williams We should be thankful for small mercies. Chris Hipkins says he’s preparing a written response to the Covid Phase 2 inquiry. He seems decidedly unenthusiastic about appearing in person. Here’s the problem. We don’t know what questions [...]

by Bonnie Flaws Newly released documents show expert advice was disregarded, and the admin-first approach to censuses, which ditches enumeration, was adopted for the next national census anyway. The Future Census Independent Evaluation Panel produced its report evaluating five possible [...]

by Simon O'Connor I was recently asked to give a talk at a New Zealand university, sharing my impressions of my recent trip to Israel and the Gaza envelope. It would have had a political and legal perspective to it [...]

by Roger Partridge The New Zealand Law Society’s new report, Strengthening the Rule of Law in Aotearoa New Zealand, runs to more than eighty pages, includes seventy-eight recommendations, and reflects a considerable investment of time and goodwill. Its aims are [...]

by William McGimpsey Introduction This White Paper offers an analysis and argument in favour of economic nationalism. It provides a brief theoretical sketch of what economic nationalism is, and how it differs from the economic policy approach currently dominant in [...]

by Mary Hobbs From caring comes courage. — Laozi The Gene Tech Bill had its first Reading on 17 December 2024, the last day that Parliament sat before closing for the Christmas and summer holidays. School was out, the children were [...]

by Dr Muriel Newman Local Government is in crisis. The numbers tell the story: local authority rates increased 12.2 percent in the 12 months to the March 2025 quarter – a 14 percent contribution to the 2.5 percent annual increase in inflation. As [...]

by Mary Hobbs If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny. — President Jefferson [...]

by Rachel Stewart There are things we never want to know about. I get it. But there are also things we need to know about. How can you fight if you don’t know what you’re fighting for? I know you’re [...]

by Michael Bassett Are you, like me, getting sick and tired of the endless stories in the Mainstream Media about poverty, with self-appointed “experts” arguing for more money to be spent on the problems they describe? They show no signs [...]

by Mary Hobbs Nature is Life — MH This is article is Part 2 of three (for now) on the Gene Technology Bill. In Part 1 the irreversible dangers of future intended DNA-altering mRNA injections — part of the Gene Tech Bill — were [...]

I do love my daily RCR Bites. I find them most edifying and gratifying. If you're not signed up for RCR Bites, you're not living! If you're not signed up for RCR Bites, you may as well be a leftard [...]

by Ani O'Brien Minister Karen Chhour has made the decision to rename Te Puna Aonui. The name translates to "spring of enlightenment" or a "source of wisdom and collective action" and the minister says it is not clear enough to New Zealanders what the venture is [...]

by Bonnie Flaws One of the key points raised in my four part investigation into Stats NZ, was the legality of its Integrated Statistical Data System. Because no matter who I asked the answer was vague. So I will update readers with [...]

by Bjorn Lomborg Madrid knew solar and wind power were unreliable but pressed ahead anyway. When a grid failure plunged 55 million people in Spain and Portugal into darkness at the end of April, it should have been a wake-up [...]

by Nick Clark A peculiar economic paradox appears to govern infrastructure development in modern New Zealand: the more we spend on infrastructure, the less we seem to get for it. This uncomfortable reality was a key takeaway from last week’s [...]

by John Porter American political economist Benjamin Friedman, author of Religion and the Rise of Capitalism, a basic reassessment of the underpinnings of today’s economics, once compared modern Western society to a bicycle whose forward momentum was kept going by continuing economic growth. He [...]

by Peter Dunne In politics, things often turn full circle. National's current musings about the future of regional councils following New Zealand First’s call for their abolition is the latest example. Regional councils were established following major reforms instituted by [...]