Articles in ‘Opinion’

The Brian Tamaki firearms case raises questions that reach far beyond one individual, challenging New Zealanders to consider whether expanding preventative police powers are altering the long-standing balance between public safety, due process and individual rights. As Parliament grants broader authority under the Arms Act 1983, the debate is no longer simply about firearms—it is about whether New Zealand is gradually shifting from the…

Fuel continues moving steadily around New Zealand despite a relatively quiet week for international arrivals. Coastal tankers remain busy distributing product between regional ports while the next wave of imports is already scheduled to arrive. · The latest shipping movements suggest the fuel supply chain remains stable, with inventories continuing to flow through the national distribution network as New Zealand enters July. Hi everyone, David…

The Free Speech Union has criticised the decision by New Zealand Police and the Firearms Safety Authority to revoke Brian Tamaki's firearms licence following recent public comments. While reiterating its opposition to those comments, the organisation argues that if criminal laws have been broken, the matter should be determined by the courts rather than through administrative action. The Free Speech Union condemns the actions of the NZ Police…

The Question Nobody Is Asking · As New Zealand heads towards another General Election, Labour leader Chris Hipkins has challenged voters to ask a simple question: · "Are you better off than you were three years ago?" · It is a fair political question. · But perhaps it is not the most important one. · The question New Zealand should be asking is this: · If hundreds of billions of dollars of household wealth disappeared following the Covid…

You have probably heard computer analogies used to explain how DNA works. Computers have properties that are fixed by precise programming and hardware. In these analogies, DNA is characterised as a set of complex instructions which are transcribed into proteins which in turn perform physiological functions that are specified by the genetic sequences stored in the DNA. Thus the public have come to think of DNA as a set of instructions or a…

The headlines over the past week have been dominated by the Middle East, ceasefires, the Strait of Hormuz and oil prices. While those events certainly deserve attention, here in New Zealand the ships continue to tell a reassuring story. Looking at our latest shipping data and comparing it with previous weeks, the fuel supply chain remains active, and importantly, fuel prices are now beginning to reflect that stability. · Christchurch appears to…

There is an old saying in journalism: · "Never tell people what to think. Tell them enough so they can think for themselves." · For most of modern history that was exactly how the public consumed information. Editors decided what to publish, journalists gathered the facts, opinion writers argued their case, and readers reached their own conclusions. · The internet changed that. · Suddenly anyone could publish. Corporate media no longer…

A peer-reviewed paper by a Māori clinical psychologist has been removed from her profession's journal on the grounds that keeping it accessible could harm Māori. It was not retracted for error, fraud or misconduct, which are ordinarily the only reasons for such an action. The Free Speech Union is calling on the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists to explain the decision. · The paper was submitted in 2024, peer reviewed, and published…

Christopher Luxon's latest KiwiSaver announcement is being promoted as a plan to help New Zealanders build wealth and retire with greater financial security. On the surface, it sounds sensible. Who wouldn't want larger retirement savings? Who wouldn't want greater financial independence in later life? · But beneath the headlines sits a deeper question that politicians rarely ask: · At what point does encouragement become compulsion? · And…

The Green Party's latest tax proposal is being marketed as a solution to inequality. I see it differently. I see it as envy dressed up as economic policy. A wealth tax. An inheritance tax. Higher corporate taxes. More levies on productive enterprise. More government intervention into the lives and assets of people who have spent decades building businesses, creating jobs, taking risks and generating prosperity. The question New Zealanders…