National is stuck in the bad old days with its obsession with land supply. Auckland now needs something more, and here's what
Read MoreFrom a small cabin to the big house
How cabins in a Te Atatu garden and a Budget 2016 freeze on schools' operating budget could affect New Zealand's prison population in years to come
Read MoreThe Opposition dating game
Labour and the Greens are making a match. But there's an ex-boyfriend hovering over proceedings
Read MoreTime to hit the reset button - again?
Turns out the government has been wrongly paying some accommodation supplement recipients for the last 23 years. Here's my overly cynical and (I hope) deeply wrong take on the advice MSD will give the government about how to respond.
Read MoreThe Budget: A Longer Term Prognosis.
A major preoccupation of the budget was preparing for the next major financial crisis. To do so it is reducing government spending relative to GDP. Where do tax cuts fit in?
Read MoreAdapt or die: Flicking the switch on solar
Power companies attempting to fend off solar power are at risk of following the horse and cart into oblivion
Read MoreHousing game-changer: Spreading the blame
Housing remains the government's biggest weakness and so National is redoubling its efforts. No, not to build houses, but to contain the political damage
Read MoreBudget 2017: The Prequel
Bill English's eight budget ticks boxes here and there, but it will be remembered in history for its complacency and the missed opportunities it represents
Read MoreWhy Corrections prevented Tony Robertson from getting treatment in prison
Tony Robertson has a lot in common with Graeme Burton, William Bell & the Beast of Blenheim. They were all serious high risk offenders – but none of them got to attend a rehabilitation programme in prison
Read MoreHave We a Housing Policy?
The government has let the housing market deteriorate with measures which are insufficient, late and ineffective. As a first step we need to identify the underlying problems.
Read MoreWhat to do about the one percenters?
A heart-breaking interview raises hard questions about what to do with the worst of the worst criminals
Read MoreMy review of Michael Bennett's "In Dark Places"
Where is Adult Education Going?
This is a condensed version of a paper given to a WEA Conference on 14 May, 2016, Available in full at http://www.eastonbh.ac.nz/2016/05/where-is-adult-education-going/
Read More'Solar tax' makes it's harder to be green. For now
A solar tax makes it harder to go green in the short term, but could drive more customers off grid as the appeal of solar power grows
Read MoreHow Special Housing Areas are failing & the immorality of land bankers
It's time to call out land bankers and require urgent action, because Auckland's lack of houses is driving people in their cars
Read MoreTime, which sees all things, has found you out
A blogger's own campaign to have name suppression laws tightened has resulted in that blogger being refused name suppression after pleading guilty to his own illegal activities. Isn't it ironic, don't you think?
Read MoreHow Should We Run a Budget Deficit?
If it necessary to run a budget deficit then it should be spent in the interests of future generations, rather than on increased consumption to be paid for in the future.
Read MoreCould New Zealand become Chile?
How should New Zealand see itself in world affairs, and does Chile provide a model for how we might do so?
Read MoreValue and Price
The social worth of a person in no way reflects their income or wealth. To confuse the two notions is to play into the values of the rich.
Read MoreQuick thoughts on the foreign trust lobbying affair
Some very quick thoughts on the matter of the PM's lawyer and his lobbying efforts, written on a Friday afternoon while waiting for a taxi to take me to the airport. So don't expect anything too deep and meaningful!
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