In other times and places, the right to bear arms has involved self-defence and the right to resist oppression. But changes to technology and laws mean even conservatives should be comfortable with where our politicians are going
Read MoreThe rocks we carry
The mosque attacks are weighing heavy on our hearts, but grief is not the only rock we carry. We must look hard at ourselves, our communities, our history, our bigotry and - if we are all us - face it all
Read MoreThe “no true Kiwi” fallacy – and how to avoid it
You commit the “no true Kiwi” fallacy by insisting that bigotry isn’t the real Kiwi way. Doing so isn’t just flawed reasoning, it ignores those for whom bigotry is a very real part of their lives. Instead: listen, re-examine, aspire, and be a helper.
Read MoreKinds of Protests
On Friday March 15, there were two major protests – school students concerned about the future, a terrorist facing toward the past. What are we to think?
Read MoreIf Brenton Tarrant is a terrorist, why hasn't he been charged as one?
The person accused of the Christchurch mosque attacks, Brenton Tarrant, has been called a terrorist. Why then hasn't he been charged with being one?
Read MoreAfter the terror, fear must not win
As we start to wrestle with the pain and lessons of this heart-rending act of terror in Christchurch, let us not fall into the trap of being driven by fear and ignorance. Because that's how this all began
Read MoreOn the night of the shootings: A prayer for Christchurch
The unspeakable evil of the day when lives were stolen.
Read MoreWhy we have a beef with the new anti-rustling laws, and perhaps you should too (1 of 2)
The Government has created 2 new criminal offences aimed at cattle rustling. These have been generally well received. But there are reasons to be concerned, both about the laws themselves, and about the process by which they were made. This post focuses on what’s concerning about that, and is followed by another questioning the changes themselves.
Read MoreWhy we have a beef with the new anti-rustling laws, and perhaps you should too (2 of 2)
The Government created new anti-rustling criminal offences by adding them late in the law-making process, bypassing the normal process for public consultation. This post raises questions about the merits of the offences.
Read MoreUp in the Clouds
New calculations suggest that the farm sector is not adding as much to the greenhouse gas clouds as previously thought. But there remains the challenge of global warming which farmers must still take up.
Read MoreSimon Bridges, National and the Serious Fraud Office - what does it all mean?
The Police have referred their investigation into $100,000 in donations to the National Party to the Serious Fraud Office. It's hard to know just what that means, except that it's the quintissential political "bad look".
Read MoreWaiting for Brexit
Kevin O’Rourke’s ‘A Short History of Brexit’ provides an excellent introduction to the British muddle, but does not resolve it.
Read MoreWhether we're lowering the threshold or not – let's not lower our standards
Look at those Greens, trying to stack the deck to ensure they cling to power, eh? Except that argument makes little sense and stops us having a proper squiz at how we should run the country
Read MoreTo Tax Capital Gains Or Not to Tax Capital Gains
Taxing the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Read MoreThe Sizzle and the Sausage
Is the public debate underpinned by quality journalism or is it dumbing down?
Read MoreCapital Gains Tax - now it's a numbers game
The spadework has been done and the Labour-led government now has to decide whether it can afford to walk through the door labelled 'Capital Gaints Tax'... and they need to know who will follow
Read MoreMeditating on Nelson and Population Growth
The city’s motto is 'Palmam qui meruit ferat'. (Let him, who has earned it, bear the palm.) Not sure that reflects a modern New Zealand city. Why does Nelson deserve a palm?
Read MoreIt is not contrary to reason to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my finger
National's decision to collapse a select committee meeting to make some sort of point may or may not be good politics. But it is bad for our parliamentary processes and long term constitutional culture.
Read MoreNewshub poll: If this is the winter of Bridge's discontent, he can't be too discontented
I'm shocked I tell you. Shocked... Shocked that anyone would be surprised by tonight's Newshub-Reid Research poll. The seasons of politics are turning as expected. The complicating factor is Judith Collins.
Read MoreReflections on a day at Waitangi and 'the c word'
I went to Waitangi for Waitangi Day and it got me wondering about commemorations, celebrations, blandness and what's missing
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