Articles from ‘elocal magazine’ in ‘Analysis’

New Zealand's unemployment rate has climbed to 5.7%, its highest level in nearly 11 years, with 174,000 people now officially unemployed. Businesses remain reluctant to hire, long-term unemployment is increasing, and wage growth is struggling to keep pace with inflation. While politicians point to signs of economic recovery, the latest figures raise a more fundamental question: if the economy is improving, why are so many New Zealanders still…

When a property is sold, everyone seems to know what they are owed: the bank, council, lawyers, agents and IRD. But who checks what may be owed back to the owner? Tracy Lynch follows the ledgers behind mortgages, interest, GST, rates and property sales, arguing that every liability, deduction, credit and adjustment should be reconciled against the underlying records. The principle is simple: if an amount is due, prove it. If a lawful…

Who checks the figures when councils and banks demand payment or enforce debts against people's homes? In this opinion, Tracy Lynch examines mortgage balances, council rates, development contributions and the records underpinning enforcement decisions. Her central question is straightforward: can institutions demonstrate the authority, calculations and financial records supporting their demands? The question is no longer simply: “Do you owe…

In this opinion piece, Tracy Lynch reflects on how COVID-era policies affected families, workplaces and communities, and how ordinary people came to enforce decisions made by authorities. She asks what evidence supported those decisions at the time and argues that accountability should focus on the records, advice and decision-making behind them, rather than blame between neighbours. Her central message is that decisions affecting people’s…

Russia's new ambassador to New Zealand has used his first major media interview to argue that Western narratives dominate public debate on the Ukraine conflict while outlining Moscow's diplomatic approach towards New Zealand. In this opinion piece, geopolitical analyst Andrew Korybko examines Ambassador Stanislav Krans' comments, the challenges he believes Russian diplomats face in Western countries, and the role of media in shaping public…

A Canadian independent broadcaster is drawing renewed attention to the role of the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and a network of affiliated organisations, arguing that their influence extends far beyond the public mandates most citizens associate with them. By elocal · In a recent episode of Artemis News Media, the host examined the historical origins of the United Nations and questioned whether global…

A growing group of engineers, physicists, and energy specialists are warning that New Zealand’s Net Zero 2050 agenda may not only be economically damaging, but technically impossible to achieve. Report By elocal · In a newly published paper titled “Why New Zealand Must Drop Net Zero 2050,” Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering John Raine, Cambridge technology professor Michael Kelly, and power systems engineer Bryan Leyland argue that…

By The Conversation · Amid a worsening global energy crisis, New Zealand and Singapore’s freshly struck deal to keep fuel and other essential goods flowing is being touted as a boost to supply chain resilience. · The agreement commits both countries not to impose export restrictions on each other during economic upheaval. But it also highlights an uncomfortable reality facing New Zealand’s energy security, which depends heavily on fuel stored…

Source: Social Well-Being Index · New Zealand is often held up as a model society. · High living standards. Political stability. Strong institutions. A country that consistently ranks near the top of global measures like GDP per capita and the Human Development Index. · But what if those measures are telling only part of the story? · A newly released Social Well-Being Index offers a different lens — one that asks a more fundamental question: ·…

Author: @alimcforever · Introduction · The United States Constitution is 237 years old. But the document it draws from, according to this account, predates it by centuries. · “The United States Constitution is 237 years old. But the document it plagiarizes is over 800 years old.” · The Great Law of Peace is described as the founding constitution of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy — a political system that unified multiple Indigenous nations…