OPINION

In this episode, Oliver Hartwich and Eric Crampton are joined by retired Major General John Howard to assess the Iran conflict three weeks on, covering how it has escalated, what the odds of de-escalation look like, and whether a US ground invasion or ceasefire is realistic. They also explore the wider global picture, from China's posture around Taiwan to Ukraine's worsening position, and what it all means for New Zealand's fuel security, energy resilience, and national preparedness. Read more

No fuel was available where I lived on the east side of Christchurch immediately after the 2011 earthquake. Power was out. Read more

New Zealand’s Planning Bill is supposed to make housing affordable. For the first time, the law would require the planning system to create competitive land markets. Read more

New Zealand has plenty of reasons for optimism. In a world gripped by anxiety, the country stands at the edge of several extraordinary opportunities. Read more

There is something almost admirable about spending a fortune on roads, pipes, schools and hospitals without quite knowing what state any of them are in. Or, in some cases, where exactly they are. Read more

After five years of stagnation, falling living standards and a cost-of-living crisis that ground down households and businesses, New Zealanders wanted nothing more than a return to normality: a bit of growth, stable prices and the relief of things finally getting better. At the start of 2026, it looked like that might be happening. Read more

Donald Trump promised the Iranian people their hour of freedom had arrived. Ten days later, the dead Supreme Leader’s son sits in his father’s chair, the Revolutionary Guard is still fighting, the Strait of Hormuz is closed, oil spiked above $100 a barrel and seven Americans are dead. Read more

Within a fortnight last month, Australia and New Zealand placed opposite bets on their economic futures. The Reserve Bank of Australia raised interest rates to 3.85 per cent. Read more

While American and Israeli jets were bombing Tehran last Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron stood before nuclear submarines at the Île Longue naval base in Brittany. He announced that France would extend its nuclear umbrella across Europe. Read more

Anyone who has visited Sydney recently will have seen what asset recycling built. New metro lines that transformed commuter rail. Read more

Democracy is easy to take for granted. For most of the last century, it has been advancing around the world. Read more

The world changed last week. The United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, killing the Supreme Leader, sinking warships, and plunging the Middle East into its gravest crisis in decades. Read more

Last week, the Government confirmed it would spend up to $200 million buying new Genesis Energy shares. Three ministers lined up to explain the decision. Read more

A principal who runs a school well does not get to tell parents what to cook for dinner. The authority is real – but it is specific. Read more

In early 2004, I wrote a letter to a man I had never met. I was a German doctoral graduate planning to move to London, struggling to find work. Read more