Articles in ‘Opinion’

“Putting in tens of millions of 5G antennae without a single biological test of safety has got to be about the stupidest idea anyone has had in the history of the world.” – Professor Emeritus Dr. Martin L. Pall, PhD[^1] An introductory article about 5G discussed how the potential environmental and health risks of the technology have been almost completely ignored by most media outlets. · The risks of 5G (including a likely increase in our…

On June 20, 1994, five members of the Bain family were shot in the head using David Bain’s .22 rifle. The defence argued that the father, Robin Bain, had shot his wife, two daughters and his youngest son Stephen, then committed suicide with the same rifle. The Police charged the eldest son, David Bain, with the murder of all five family members. There are a multitude of issues in this case. Not least the legitimate tactics employed on both…

It is very hard to find words even now to express the shock, disbelief and upset that all New Zealanders, including my colleagues in Parliament and myself, experienced, as we heard the details of the terrible terrorist attacks on the Al Noor Mosque on Deans Avenue and then the Linwood Mosque in Christchurch as they unfolded, on New Zealand’s darkest day Friday 15 March. The news of the tragic loss of 50 lives from the deliberate acts of one man…

I have no difficulty understanding why many people are strongly in favour of a capital gains tax. They see a minority of New Zealanders enjoying the very good life, living in a luxurious home, going on international trips every year, driving a late model Lexus. They suspect that much of this wealth comes from “unearned” and untaxed capital gains, often on housing investment as a result of the enormous increase in house prices over the last 20…

Last month, I mentioned, there is a multitude of issues in this case. Not least the legitimate tactics employed on both sides to present their side of the argument. The trial lasted 3 months and 183 witnesses were called. Four million dollars were spent on legal aid for the defence. Nearly another million was paid to the defence team to stop further litigation, all at the tax-payers continuing expense. The defence called witnesses to refute or…

A few months ago, I wrote a column highlighting some of the serious things which are going on under our collective noses to provide, or in some cases, continue to provide special privileges to those New Zealanders who chance to have at least one Maori ancestor – along with ancestors of other ethnicities in every case. I listed the continued existence of separate Maori electorates more than a century after their use-by date; a Parliamentary Bill…

For the last few months, controversy has swirled regarding the proposed 5G system for New Zealand after the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) warned that using Huawei equipment posed a security risk. However, national mainstream media has somehow neglected to cover the extremely serious potential health and environmental effects of 5G. · As things stand, NZ’s future could include exposure to 5G from a terrestrial system and a…

Last month, I wrote about some common misconceptions about the profitability of the banks operating in New Zealand, and noted that the Big Four Aussie banks, while quite profitable compared with banks elsewhere in the world, are not wildly profitable in comparison to many other listed companies in New Zealand. I noted that other banks in New Zealand are not nearly as profitable, and that there are definite benefits to New Zealand in having a…

As someone who has been forced to deal with a couple of serious medical conditions in the past, I am accustomed to “worst scenario” theories offered by professionals. And also, quite thankful for them. I would much rather hear the worst and hope for the best. I wonder if scientists and other professionals commenting on climate change are doing the same; warning us of the catastrophes that could happen if we don’t act now. Taking a position that…

The public might assume that justice equals the truth, with regards to any Court Case brought before the New Zealand court, however in our adversarial system they may not be the same thing at all. New Zealand’s justice system is part of our system of government. New Zealand’s government is modelled on the British system (the Westminster model) and is based on a concept called separation of powers. This means the institutions of government are…