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From comrade to Dame in a New York minute

Thomas Cranmer, Contributing Writer

One of the final acts of Jacinda Ardern’s exit from New Zealand politics was the announcement that the former Prime Minister would become Dame Jacinda Ardern. It was possibly the fastest transition from comrade to dame that anyone has ever achieved.

A new media regulator – a safe haven or Big Brother?

Janet Wilson, Contributing Writer

“Co-governance for your deck!”

Graham Adams, Contributing Writer

An effective campaign against the RMA reforms led by The Taxpayers’ Union and Federated Farmers will be a nightmare for Hipkins.

Beware of The Blob

Alex Penk, Independent Researcher and Writer

“The Blob is a gelatinous agglomeration of elite opinion that suffocates and skews public debate,” says Alex Penk. In this short video Alex details how a distinctly blobby-like group of NGO’s recently tried to skew the public debate on co-governance.

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How to fix a broken media

Sean Plunket, Founding Editor, The Platform

Veteran broadcaster Sean Plunket pulls no punches when talking about the state of NZ media and how we can fix it.

NZ’s shameful health secret

Rachel Smalley, Journalist and Broadcaster

New Zealand sits at the bottom of the western world for access to modern medicines. Pharmac decide what drugs we buy and when. So why aren’t Kiwis getting the medicines they need?

The power of the Pasifika vote

Ronji Tanielu, Community Worker

Whichever party can secure and win the bulk of the Pacific vote has a good chance of winning the election. But do our political parties understand the values and issues that are important to our Pasifika communities?

Equity or equality?

Dr Melissa Derby, Ngāti Ranginui, Senior Lecturer Waikato University

What happens when the focus of government and institutions shifts from providing equal opportunities to equal outcomes? Is attempting to bring about equal outcomes a good idea – or even possible? 

The Economic Miracle

Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director, The New Zealand Initiative

In May 1945, Prime Minister Winston Churchill led Britain to victory. He was celebrated as a hero, but only two months later, the Brits elected a new Parliament and a new Prime Minister, Clement Attlee. Attlee promised to rebuild the country by taking control of the British economy, but it was a disaster. Over in West Germany, they took a different approach and managed an economic miracle. So how is this history relevant to New Zealand today?

The soft bigotry of low expectation

Agnes Loheni, Entrepreneur, Qualified Chemical Engineer, Mum of 5, and Former MP

“Our children are inundated with messages that they will be preyed upon because of their race or other such perceived disadvantage. That any dreams or aspirations they might have for themselves must be tempered by a system that is rigged against them,” says Agnes. Find out more in this thought provoking video.

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Politicians and the dark art of misinformation

Janet Wilson, Contributing Writer

“No one has ever doubted that truth and politics are on rather bad terms with each other, and no one as far as I know, has ever counted truthfulness among the political virtues,” the political theorist Hannah Arendt wrote in a seminal 1967 essay in The New Yorker. “Lies have always been regarded as necessary and justifiable tools not only of the politician’s or the demagogue’s but also of the statesman’s trade.”  Why is that so?

Te Pāti Māori: Kingmaker or Labour’s albatross?

Graham Adams, Contributing Writer

Chris Hipkins must be fast realising that with friends like Te Pāti Māori he really doesn’t need enemies. In fact, the strong possibility Labour will require its support to form a government is looking like a real threat to its chances of re-election in October.

Are political parties too tribal?

Thomas Cranmer, Contributing Writer

Political parties play a significant role in democratic systems. They provide a means of organising political representation and facilitating the functioning of the government. However, the question arises whether political parties, with their inherent tribalism and policy conformity, are necessary for a functioning democracy.

Has government money corrupted journalism?

Graham Adams, Contributing Writer

The debate over co-governance draws attention to the role of the $55m media fund in shutting down dissenting views. Journalist Graham Adams investigates.

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COMING SOON TO THE COMMON ROOM

Has Ardern altered the course of NZ?

Did we just witness a third transformative Government in New Zealand’s history? Would it be right to compare the administration of former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to the likes of Savage and Lange who’s policies altered the course of New Zealand? 

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Mike King

Karen Chhour