Political analysis and commentary shaping the progressive debate in Aotearoa New Zealand, focused on power, policy, and accountability.
Listen to Hooton’s participation on the panel, and compare his measured commentary on Radio NZ versus his irrational sniping on Twitter. It’s almost as if we’re seeing and hearing two completely different Matthew Hootons from Parallel Universes; our Earth and Earth 2.
The Left constantly fails to register the brute realities of living in a society driven by the neoliberal imperatives of twenty-first century capitalism. In a world where the interests of the successful individual trump everybody else’s, avoiding and/or evading tax has become an industry in its own right.
As I have pointed out over many years, the Waitangi Tribunal itself is an agency of the Crown as part of the judicial system. Members are appointed by the government. In this Tribunal they included three Pakeha men – a Maori land court judge, a former National Party cabinet minister, and a special counsel to a major law firm – along with a kaumatua of great mana, but who is not a lawyer, and a younger Maori woman with experience in the commercial world.
Most folk won’t remember who Ken Shirley was, prior to his current ‘gig’ as CEO of the Road Transport Forum (RTF), representing road transport interests since July 2010.
I believe in the collective wisdom of people and the importance of democratic participation but it is easy to get disheartened about what appears to be an apathetic public fed a diet of reality TV and Government spin.
If Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee felt nauseous when he shook hands last week with renowned war criminal and Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon he didn’t show it.
Labour’s Sadiq Khan won the London mayoralty despite anti-Muslim slanders from his main opponent, Zac Goldsmith.
When I asked NM* if I could interview her for a blog on World Press Freedom day, she looked up at me from the magazine she was proofing with almost vacant eyes.
From the voices we do not hear in the New Zealand media about West Papua. Hundreds of peaceful Papuan protesters were arrested and detained this week. Visit Asia Pacific Report for comprehensive reports and read West Papuan Reverend Benny Giay’s measured analysis in this guest blog.
1. A secretive lawyer named Whitney Looked after the interests of John Key. Till the sloppiest lob Nearly cost him…