Articles in ‘Opinion’

Sex, politics, and religion. When I was growing up my families conversations were always economic, but there seemed to be an unspoken rule that these three topics, were a no-go zone. They may have been too awkward or perhaps they were just subjects to avoid when talking with neighbours. However, in the last fifty years I’ve found that sex, politics and religion contribute a quite a lot to our relationships, sense of purpose, and state of mind.…

By the time this column sees the light of day, the Labour Government – now freed of the constraint of New Zealand First – will have been in office almost exactly a year. And to look at the opinion polls, they are doing a fine job – or at least the Prime Minister is. · But the reality is very different. · The Government has made absolutely no progress in key areas like replacing the RMA with workable rules to protect the environment while…

trojan (n.) — Malware that misleads users from its true intent. Dr Bryan Betty, the Medical Director of the Royal NZ College of General Practice, has let down the nation massively these past 18 months by actively eroding the moral and scientific integrity of the once noble vocation of medicine. · Under the watch of this 'Big Pharma' loyalist, and a few others, we have seen the abandonment of evidence-based medicine; the loss of debating…

The troubles of the world as we know it, are now a constant in our life at present, with Covid and its new variant Delta sweeping the world, which will never be the same again. Gone are the things we have taken for granted all our lives, like getting on an aircraft and flying wherever we wish in the world to new and hereto unknown adventures! Now, I for one have a distinctly negative reaction to getting into an aluminium tube and flying for…

I received another reminder from my Government to book my Pfizer mRNA shot

Banking risk is not often talked about or discussed in mainstream media and this in part is a man-aged form of media spin designed to ensure the public that all is OK in the world of banking. Whenever a banking CEO or Treasury Minister faces the media the narrative is very predictable in that promotion of certainty in the banking sector is a given. No one wants to undermine faith in the banking system for fear of upsetting the delicate balance…

Once again, I feel compelled to write about house prices. Why? Because it is the most important cause of social distress in New Zealand today, and that by a large margin. There would still be social problems if house prices were half their present level, but they would be vastly more manageable – child poverty would be much reduced, mental health would be better, there would be less homelessness, there would be fewer suicides, and…

It’s thought that it was Mark Twain who said, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” It’s become a commonplace phrase for describing the persuasive power of numbers, especially statistics, when used to strengthen someone’s argument or point of view. As National’s spokesperson for statistics, I can vouch for the important role that statistics play in our understanding of New Zealand’s people, the economy and our…

When Daily Blog editor, Martyn Bradbury, says Labour’s lucky the country’s currently distracted by the Covid-19 Delta Variant, he’s right. Were New Zealand safe and out of Lockdown, it would be in the midst of a dangerously divisive row about Oranga Tamariki, the Judiciary, Race, and the Rule of Law. · Given that the matters at the heart of this controversy aresub judice (i.e. under the authority of the court) I shall forbear from discussing…

The Prime Minister’s politics — including her stance towards the Mongrel Mob and the Taliban — can be baffling. Graham Adams reckons answers lie in her past as a Mormon. Whether it is from politeness or a lack of curiosity, it is rare for journalists or commentators to dwell on Jacinda Ardern’s religious history and how it might have shaped her politics. · When the Prime Minister is occasionally asked, she bats the question away with a stock…