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At the end of the year, commentators across the spectrum have crowned Chris Bishop as 2025’s “Politician of the Year”. It’s an almost unprecedented honour for someone who isn’t even a party leader, but he spent the year at the centre of most big political stories. He was, as The Post put it today, “the main character of New Zealand politics”, often making more headlines than the Prime Minister and driving the Government’s most ambitious reforms.

Currently the Waikato Regional Council is awaiting the final outcome from the Environment Court hearing into the objections around PC1. PC1 is the proposed change to be made to the operative Waikato Regional Plan that was put forward by the Waikato Regional Council back in 2016. · It is expected PC1 will be operative next year and, depending on the final results of the Environment Court hearing, that farmers might need to get resource consent…

Christmas is upon us and most have opened stockings hoping for little bit of chocolate. Should we feel guilty indulging over the holidays? This review was assisted by AlterAI. The Top Five Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa and Higher) — A Christmas Delight By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH · Few foods carry as much paradoxical charm as dark chocolate. On one hand, it’s indulgent—a symbol of sweetness, comfort, and festivity. On the…

The court order relates to a lawsuit filed in 2023 by seven people injured by COVID-19 vaccines. One of the victims has since died. According to Dutch newspaper De Andere Krant, the lawsuit centers around the question “of whether the COVID-19 injections are a bioweapon.” by Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D. | Picture - albert bourla, covid vaccine and bill gates · Bill Gates and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla will have to appear in person in the Netherlands…

Caption: Greek actress Mary Mina, Dec. 4, 2025. Photo: Xinhua · On Thursday, Greece held the Olympic flame handover ceremony for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games at the historic Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. The flame was carried into the stadium by world wrestling champion Georgios Kougioumtsidis, who then passed it to Italy’s Olympic champion Jasmine Paolini and cyclist Filippo Ganna, symbolizing the long-standing ties between…

We talk a lot about money in politics in New Zealand, but we rarely actually examine it in detail. Today that changes. I’m pleased to announce the publication of Following the Money in 2025, the Democracy Project’s inaugural annual audit of political donations in New Zealand. This is the first report of its kind, and I hope it will become an indispensable resource for journalists, researchers, and citizens who want to understand who is funding…

New Zealand First is regrettably opposed to the India Free Trade Agreement announced today, Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters says. · “We consider the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement to be neither free nor fair,” Mr Peters says. “Regrettably, this is a bad deal for New Zealand. It gives too much away, especially on immigration, and does not get enough in return for New Zealanders, including on dairy." “New Zealand First urged its coalition…

Labour leader Chris Hipkins says voters will see a very different Labour Party at the 2026 election, arguing the country has “moved on” and claims that the party’s policies have shifted accordingly. His flagship economic pitch centres on a capital gains tax targeted at investment and commercial property, a long-debated Labour policy. Labour claims the proposed tax would fund three GP visits a year, a Future Fund, cervical screening and other…

These look good but require a bit of dexterity (the construction is quite Blue Peter-ish, if I’m honest). If you don’t want the hassle, just roll each strip of pastry into a pinwheel (the shape of a pain aux raisins). You don’t have to use Parma ham and Parmesan, you can use regular cooked ham and thinly sliced Gruyère. You end up with a Christmas tree that has flavours similar to those of a croque monsieur. · Ingredients · - 1 tbsp olive…

By any modern political measure, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s announcement that the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement is a “landmark moment” ticks every box of good optics. There are the celebratory adjectives, the breathless timelines, the diplomatic phone calls, and the familiar promise that growth, jobs, and prosperity are just around the corner. But optics are not outcomes. And for New Zealanders who have lived through three…