Israel Folau's warning to certain sinner is for him an act of love, not hate. So how important is intent when it comes to calling something 'hate speech'?
Read MoreOwning a gun is a privilege: Firearms licences may need better checks & balances
I value the guns I own, but with ownership comes responsibility and it's reasonable to expect licences and those who enfore them to ensure the safety of all New Zealanders
Read MoreA Taxing and Spending Matter.
The Public Finance Act is one of those boring statutes which shapes the nation’s wellbeing.
Read MoreCGT: A bad idea finally put to bed once and for all
Labour came to the only logical conclusion, with a little help from its friends. A Capital Gains Tax was little more than scratching an itch of its voting base, but would have done little for the country and the government
Read MoreJacinda Ardern thuds back to earth thanks to NZF's 'carefully generated torpedo' (CGT)
A humiliating defeat for Jacinda Ardern and Labour on the Capital Gains Tax is a reminder of how political power works and where the struggle for that power – and next year's election – really lies. Peters has swung the tax axe, with impunity
Read MoreHave We Abandoned the Egalitarian Society?
Inequality is not confined to income and wealth; it is in our healthcare and education systems. Is Labour trying to reverse the trend?
Read MoreThe case for allowing aid in dying in New Zealand
Parliament's Health Committee couldn't decide on any major changes to the End of Life Choice Bill. That doesn't mean, however, that it won't be changed.
Read MorePhysician, heal thyself?
Parliament's Justice Committee thinks it would be wrong for courts to force people to say sorry if they say untrue things about judges. So why should Parliament be able to force people to say sorry if they say untrue things about MPs?
Read MoreDo Regions Matter?
If we really are serious about regional wellbeing, we may be pursuing it in the wrong way.
Read MoreAre We Too Slack?
Far too much policy is driven by mañana: when tomorrow comes we panic.
Read MoreWhy it might make sense to censor this 'manifesto'
At first blush the censorship of the Christchurch killer's document explaining the attacks may look like a serious intrusion on free speech. But context and content are everything
Read MoreWe need to understand hate to defeat it, not ignore it
When something wicked this way comes, what do you do? I hope in time we can make space for study and understanding. Let's find the courage to look at where the hate came from and counter it with facts and truth as well as compassion.
Read MoreBanning Jordan Peterson book inconsistent, but not anti-freedom
Whitcoulls has caused something of a furore by taking Jordan Peterson's 12 Rules for Life off its shelves. How much should we worry when books start to be censored?
Read MoreGun law reform: Once again we don't how lucky we are
In other times and places, the right to bear arms has involved self-defence and the right to resist oppression. But changes to technology and laws mean even conservatives should be comfortable with where our politicians are going
Read MoreThe rocks we carry
The mosque attacks are weighing heavy on our hearts, but grief is not the only rock we carry. We must look hard at ourselves, our communities, our history, our bigotry and - if we are all us - face it all
Read MoreThe “no true Kiwi” fallacy – and how to avoid it
You commit the “no true Kiwi” fallacy by insisting that bigotry isn’t the real Kiwi way. Doing so isn’t just flawed reasoning, it ignores those for whom bigotry is a very real part of their lives. Instead: listen, re-examine, aspire, and be a helper.
Read MoreKinds of Protests
On Friday March 15, there were two major protests – school students concerned about the future, a terrorist facing toward the past. What are we to think?
Read MoreIf Brenton Tarrant is a terrorist, why hasn't he been charged as one?
The person accused of the Christchurch mosque attacks, Brenton Tarrant, has been called a terrorist. Why then hasn't he been charged with being one?
Read MoreAfter the terror, fear must not win
As we start to wrestle with the pain and lessons of this heart-rending act of terror in Christchurch, let us not fall into the trap of being driven by fear and ignorance. Because that's how this all began
Read MoreOn the night of the shootings: A prayer for Christchurch
The unspeakable evil of the day when lives were stolen.
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