On 14 October, the same day Australia will vote on the Voice referendum, New Zealanders will also go to the polls, to elect a new Parliament. But where the choice in Australia is between a relatively straightforward ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, things are not quite as clear-cut in New Zealand. Read more

Some surveys require interpretation. Others speak for themselves. Read more

You may be forgiven for not knowing who Michael Ashcroft is. In this country, he is hardly a household name. Read more

In a courageous move, the New Zealand Government introduced a bill that would allow 16-year-olds to vote in local elections. Yes, you read that right: 16. Read more

New Zealand was on the brink of an abyss. Its smug and reckless government had burdened the economy with top-down planning, lost control of public finances and created a crisis of confidence in the Kiwi dollar. Read more

New Zealand is standing at a historic crossroads. The 2023 election is not just another election; it is a turning point, a watershed moment for our nation’s future. Read more

If everything had gone according to plan, this column would have been about the visit of the German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, to New Zealand. That would have been appropriate as German ministers do not make it to this part of the world too often. Read more

Ingredients: 1 cup contradiction (finely chopped) 500 grams of voter polling (preferably gullible) 2 tablespoons of economic nonsense (no substitutes) A generous pinch of legal complexity A dash of ambiguity (to taste) A sprinkling of international tax quirks A heaped spoonful of political expediency Preparation: 1. Start with the contradictions: Begin by asserting that the policy will help low-income families. Read more