The proposed infrastructural spending on roads leaves open a whole range of issues such as who pays and who benefits.
Read MoreWho Pays for the Roads?
"It's not over til the fat lady sings": RNZ and Concert FM
What were they thinking! It is not the time to contemplate changes to Concert FM while massive changes to public broadcasting are in the wind.
Read MoreMuddled Thinking About RNZ.
Sometimes public policy in New Zealand is like the Red Queen who announced 'sentence first – verdict afterwards'.
Read MoreWaitangi Day is not a day of national unity, which is fine.
Sometimes it is appropriate for us to have occasions of introspection, discussion and argument.
Read MoreA eulogy for Andrew Brough
For some it’s just a passing news headline. But when your musical hero dies it can cut deep and bring back all sorts of memories. Such it was with the tragic death of singer-songwriter Andrew Brough
Read MoreManifesto for the Text
It is time that the people demanded something be done about the parlous state of Archives New Zealand and the National Library and of public policy towards literacy and the text generally.
Read MoreIran and the USA
Amidst a brainless array of summer stories came the danger of a US-Iran war. So why does the US hate Iran so much, why does it side with the Saudis and what’s at stake?
Read MoreMike Moore - Working Class Hero 1949-2020
Mike Moore, who died today, was arguably New Zealand’s greatest political success story, despite a career littered with frustrations. He could infuriate and intrigue. He could go off on tangents. But his magpie mind made him one of the sharpest operators around and his heart for the working classes speaks to his remarkable character
Read MoreNo, no, no to 'roads, roads, roads' – where the money could be going
The government’s road bings is clever politics but a slap in the face for those genuinely concerned about the twin crises of climate and inequality. There’s more money to spend and here’s how to spend it…
Read MoreReflecting on the Future of Brexit
The somewhat dis-United Kingdom is leaving the EU. I thought it might be useful to review my columns on Brexit.
Read MoreDavos Man Returns Home Ready to Make a Difference
If we want things to stay the same, something has to change.
Note. What follows is fiction, except for the facts.
Read MoreLabour decides its road to victory starts with... roads
Why roading lays down a path to Election 2020 for the coalition government and Labour in particular and puts National on bumpy ground
Read MoreElection 2020: when's it gonna be?
Perhaps there is a middle way between having a fixed date and leaving it up to the prime minister of the day.
Read MoreFailing to Regulate for Death, Destruction and Waste
The Building and Construction Industry shows that the light-handed regulation often does not work.
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Will the New Public Service Act Result in Better Services to the Public?
Going to the Dogs?
National’s Chris Pend thinks that our courts may need therapy dogs to help those going through their processes. Is he barking mad, or leading the pack?
Read MoreFahrenheit 451
The other reason behind the success of fast food outlets
Fast food joints are unhealthy, manipulative and a rip-off. So why do so many of us keep coming back? One drive-through experience offers a clue
Read MoreThe Attack on Literacy
The Trump Doctrine & how the Suleimani assassination turns it on its head. Maybe
For years President Trump has been the sort of non-interventionist Commender-in-Chief many of those outside his party said they wanted in the White House. Which is why the killing of Qassem Suleimani raises so many questions
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