Category: Foreign Affairs

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Referenda and the sway of public opinion

That referendums can lead to disintegration of rational thought and political process has become abundantly evident from the chaos that has followed the UK Brexit referendum of June 2016.


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Legitimising Illegal Migration

On December 10 and 11 New Zealand is expected to attend an intergovernmental conference in Marrakech, Morocco, to adopt the United Nation’s Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. The Compact not only legitimises illegal migration and promotes it as a human right, but it makes climate change a new ground for asylum.


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UN Member States: Migration Is a Human Right

The United Nations, in a non-binding agreement that almost all UN member states will sign at a ceremony in Morocco in early December, is making migration a human right. The agreement propagates the radical idea that migration - for any reason - is something that needs to be promoted, enabled and protected.


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Feel-Good Bans on Plastic Bags Don’t Help the Ocean

Referring to plastic grocery bags as “single use” is almost certainly a misnomer. Consumers in jurisdictions with bans who reused the grocery bags to line their household trash cans, pack lunches, or even pick up their dog’s poop most often have little choice but to purchase significantly higher-density plastic bags for these purposes.


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Balance of power in American voters' hands

It would be a huge mistake to believe that most Americans are obsessed with President Donald Trump and the ongoing drama in the nation's capital. Most Americans get on with life and are usually more interested in local matters.


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Will President Trump bring down power prices in New Zealand?

Will the President of the United States be responsible for lowering power prices in New Zealand? That question has been raised because this could be one of the unintended consequences of Donald Trump’s latest move “to make America great again”.


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California, Poverty Capital

California—not Mississippi, New Mexico, or West Virginia—has the highest poverty rate in the United States. The question arises as to why California has so many poor people...


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Is Freedom of Speech Under Threat in New Zealand?

In New Zealand, freedom of speech is enshrined as one of our fundamental rights in the Bill of Rights Act of 1990. By comparison with a great many other countries, New Zealand stacks up pretty well.


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We Need Flatter Taxes, Cleaner Rules

The Trump administration released a thumbnail sketch last week of its much anticipated tax plan, which has generated opposition and support from all the usual suspects.


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Time for a Change in Welfare Policy

Last week the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, published their annual report card on child well-being across the countries of the European Union and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. They ranked New Zealand in 38th place out of the 41 nations.