Articles from ‘elocal magazine’

Chris Hipkins delivered his State of the Nation speech this afternoon in Auckland, and the verdict is clear enough: there wasn’t much in it. No new policy. No surprises. No real detail on how Labour would govern differently. It was, by design, a low-key affair. The question now is whether voters see this as strategic discipline or something less flattering. The speech, delivered to the Auckland Business Chamber and hosted by former National…

The political landscape in New Zealand has just been turned upside down by a devastating new Freshwater poll. National has plummeted to 30 percent while Labor has climbed to 37, creating a nightmare scenario for the government just months out from the election. In this episode, Duncan and the panel break down the "shark-infested waters" National has entered. We look at the very real possibility that Finance Minister Nicola Willis could lose her…

The Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand is supposed to be the guardian of teaching standards. It registers and certifies teachers, vets who get to stand in front of a classroom, and enforces professional conduct. Right now it looks more like a case study in how public institutions go wrong. Over the past two weeks, two devastating reports have landed in public view, exposing an organisation riddled with conflicts of interest, procurement…

When the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal found Dr Caroline Wheeler guilty of professional misconduct for prescribing ivermectin during COVID, it did more than discipline one GP. It reignited a deeper question: · Who does medicine ultimately serve — the patient, or the protocol? · The Pandemic Power Shift · During COVID, emergency powers reshaped clinical decision-making worldwide. · Remdesivir — an antiviral developed by Gilead…

Broadcaster Duncan Garner recently told listeners that Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is “not fit to hold office” after she shared a social media post referencing the violent death of Captain James Cook. Summarised by Centrist · Garner described the post as “sickening and evil,” arguing that a political leader should never “publicly celebrate online the anniversary of another person’s violent death or murder.” He said the post…

The Government’s Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of Retail Crime is finally being put out of its misery. After less than two years of existence, $1.8 million in spending, the resignation of three of its five members, and an ongoing trail of embarrassing headlines, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith announced last week that the group would be wound up months ahead of schedule. If you want a clear example of how patronage rots policy-making,…

By any realistic measure, New Zealand’s economy is no longer in the eye of the storm that buffeted households and businesses through 2021–2023. Inflation, interest rate spikes, and lockdown aftershudder have receded from the headlines. But according to the latest analysis released by Kiwibank — drawing directly on the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s latest statements — the idea that “we’re through the worst” is only half-true. The pain of the…

Yesterday, as the Infrastructure Commission released New Zealand’s first-ever National Infrastructure Plan, the North Island was cleaning up from yet another extreme weather event. Roads blocked by slips and flooding. Power cut to homes. Stormwater and sewage systems overwhelmed. Commission chief executive Geoff Cooper acknowledged the grim backdrop, noting that the challenges of maintaining infrastructure in the face of natural hazards “sit at…

New Zealand’s politicians like to point to the existence of published ministerial diaries as evidence that our system is open and transparent. Ministers now routinely say that anyone can see who they’re meeting with, so there’s nothing much to worry about in terms of backroom influence. On paper, the diaries are supposed to be a window into the Beehive – a way for the public to track who gets face time with ministers and who doesn’t. In…

1) Core message · Seymour’s central pitch is: New Zealand is drifting from “first-world” performance, people (especially young Kiwis) are leaving in growing numbers, and the fix requires unpopular but “necessary” reforms—led by ACT—focused on smaller government, higher productivity, fiscal discipline, and equal rights before the law. · 2) The frame: “warning lights on the dashboard” · He repeatedly uses the metaphor of five warning lights…