Category: Politics

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The Water Debate

Fresh water is an election issue. The export of bottled water has become the focus of an emotional debate that is being relentlessly politicised and propagandised.


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Super Policy Under Scrutiny

A new survey, released this week by the ABS Bank, found that one in five New Zealanders are strongly opposed to National’s plan to lift the retirement age from 65 to 67.


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Retirement income policies: what we know and what we don’t

New Zealand has a retirement income framework that, compared with the rest of the developed world, is closest to our ideal. However, that’s a low bar to clear. We can make things much better but we must start with impeccable, deep data.


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A Long Week in Politics

They say a week is a long time in politics. So, it turns out, is an hour and a half. At 8.30 on Tuesday morning, Labour leader Andrew Little told reporters that he was not going to resign - “I’m going to fight”. 90 minutes later he was fronting a press conference announcing his resignation.


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Jacindamania

New Labour leader Jacinda Ardern is promising to run an election campaign characterised by “relentless positivity”. And, so far, there’s been an almost relentlessly positive response to her rise to the top. It appears that Ardern’s extraordinary elevation is going to lift this election campaign out of the ordinary, too.


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Democracy Under Attack

Democracy has been described as a ‘fragile flower’. Indeed it is, and it's something we take for granted because our relatively young society has not yet experienced its collapse.


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The State of Democracy in New Zealand

Until the passing of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2017 the business of territorial local authorities was conducted by the elected representatives of the citizens living in the particular area. That is no longer the case.


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Major Election Policies Announced

The 2017 election campaign has well and truly started with both the Green Party and New Zealand First launching major policies last weekend.


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Politics, Property and the RMA

New Zealand First looks like the only stabilizing element in coalition governments that would otherwise fall under the extremist sway of either or both the Greens and the Maori Party.


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Next Steps in Coastal Claims

The parade welcoming home our winning Emirates Team New Zealand crew - and the America's Cup after a 14 year absence - was jubilant. Peter Burling and the rest of the sailors, cyclists, designers, boat builders and other stakeholders, did our country proud, and we congratulate them on their wonderful success.