Essential public safeguards to democracy
The offices of the Ombudsman and the Controller and Auditor-General are two important independent statutory agencies charged with protecting aspects of the public interest against...
Category : National Politics
Government’s spinning plates starting to wobble
Government’s spinning plates starting to wobble By Shane Jones, NZ First. While the Prime Minister is on ice somewhere in Antarctica – a cold and...
Hamilton West – the election bell-weather seat
There was a clear air of self-satisfied smugness within the Labour Party when Dr Gaurav Sharma was expelled from its Caucus. By Peter Dunne. A...
A perspective on national security
By Peter Dunne In many ways, the essential story of New Zealand over the last hundred years or so has been our search for security....
A modern-day version of borrow and hope
By Peter Dunne. An elaborate but ultimately irrelevant game of ‘pass the parcel’ is being played out at present about who is responsible for inflation...
Transmission Gully – the pathway to the Wellington region’s future
Caption: At the very beginning and the Transmission Gully projects Sod-turning in September 2014 were from left: David Jurd, Leighton Contractors managing director; Ohariu MP...
National politics – finance ministers
By Peter Dunne. In our system of government, the Prime Minister is often described as “primus inter pares”, the first among equals, or the chair...
Billions in debt and nothing to show for it
Bruce Cotterill, company director, adviser to business leaders, and author of the book, The Best Leaders Don’t Shout. Originally published in November 2021. Sometimes we...
Central administration versus local democracy
By Peter Dunne. The government’s plan to overhaul the regulatory and supply arrangements for the nation’s three waters looks to be close to dead in...
Partnership platitudes
By Peter Dunne. Just three weeks ago [early October 2021] the Minister of Local Government received the interim report of the Future for Local Government...