Increasingly, our Government is behaving like a playground bully. If Ministers will not restrain themselves from abuses of power, others need to stand up and speak out
Read MoreYour Punt
Gay marriage and preserving religious freedom for celebrants
Will all marriage celebrants be immunized?
Read MoreCan't afford a house in Auckland? There's a whole country out there
Auckland's sky-rocketing house prices could do the country a service -- as long as they are not artificially lowered
Read MoreSnowballs in North Africa: Mali's long-term unintended consequences
France's adventure in Mali is both a result, and potential cause, of instability, and highlights once again the often-forgotten issues surrounding foreign military intervention
Read MoreNaming gay All Blacks? Bring It On!
Mike Lee's extraordinarily obtuse article in the Herald this week ignores the importance of rugby in Kiwi culture and the fight for gay rights. John Forde explains why the time is perfect for rugby to come out of the closet
Read MorePolice poised to push hundreds of firearms into the hands of criminals
The Police have, after intensive lobbying, achieved a law change that could end up putting more guns in the hands of criminals
Read MoreEyes on the prize: Obama's post-Nobel record
Alfred Nobel intended his peace prize to go to those most responsible for creating "fraternity between nations," and the "reduction of standing armies." Yet a brief look at Obama's accomplishments since shows that the further we move from 2009, the further he turns from this legacy
Read MoreA more vigorous defence of Stewart Murray Wilson
The media have told us that Murray Wilson refused to attend a rehabilitation programme while in prison. In fact, the Corrections Department refused to let him attend
Read MoreKennedy Graham's UN rescue plan – but what about big business?
Kennedy Graham is very experienced and knowledgeable in international law and process, but would his framework achieve what he claims?
Read MoreDifferent bishops, different buildings, same outcry
Since when did church buildings become a matter of public vote?
Read MoreWhose airwaves are they anyway?
About 400 people packed a Wellington hall to protest the planned closure of TVNZ7. Among them was former ABC TV current affairs journalist Duncan Graham
Read MoreThe cautionary tale of a successful welfare system
Of all the organisations that might have become champions of the welfare state, it's Treasury that has shown why we need it -- and why it is at risk
Read MoreOffensive christian billboard or offensive ethics ruling?
Do you believe in an interventionist God? Well, don't say so ... in case you offend people.
Read MoreSarkozy feints right in campaign’s final act
Could immigration policy save the French incumbent? Nicolas Sarkozy's political future is decided this weekend
Read MorePrisoners' treatment humiliating and cruel
Depressed and suicidal prisoners in New Zealand are placed in so-called 'at risk' cells where they are deprived of sleep and subjected to humiliating searches
Read MoreWomen under-represented as leaders in New Zealand - so what to do?
The first nation to give women the vote now has few women leading newspapers, businessness and political parties. So this international women's day, what can we do about that?
A Lange summer spent re-thinking asset sales
There are altenatives to selling off the SOEs, so why not look at some other options?
Read MoreChange the end of the story for our abused kids - have your say on the Green Paper
How New Zealand is protecting its next generation clearly isn't working. Norm Hewitt, former All Black-turned-children's champion, is urging all New Zealanders to "say something" on the Green Paper for Vulnerable Children, and change the end of the story for 160,000 at-risk Kiwi kids
Read MoreThe smart picks for the Maori electorates
Picking winners in the Maori electorates isn't an easy game. The Pundits are sometimes guilty of picking the losing horse and the polls tend to do no better. Today guest Pundit Morgan Godfery offers his picks in the Maori seats
Read MoreLabour's bold play for the Maori vote
It took the Labour Party an age to release its Maori policy statement, but the wait may have been worth it. Guest Pundit Morgan Godfery discusses Labour's risky move
Read More