Michael Cullen set out his political philosophy in his autobiography. So has Chris Finlayson. His is having significant impact on Māori development.
Read MoreLiberal-Conservatives and Social Democrats: The Future of Māori
Michael Cullen
Michael Cullen’s Policy Achievements
Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.
Read MoreIn Defence of Social Democracy
Michael Cullen’s memoir Labour Saving provides one of the most coherent defences of social democracy written by a New Zealand politician.
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 MoreWe need to talk about the one per cent
One per cent of the world's population now control half its wealth.
The concentration of more and more resources in fewer and fewer hands has actually accelerated since the global financial crisis. This is no accident. It is the outcome of policy decisions made – or avoided – by political leaders either unable to learn the lessons of the crisis or unwilling to act on them.
Read MoreThe truth about our 'rockstar economy'
A softening of the housing market, falling dairy prices and potential weakening of the Chinese economy do not bode well for New Zealand
Read MoreNational’s muddled message on economy could help Labour
Housing affordability is about inequality
Increasing the supply of housing is only part of the solution. Demand needs to be shored up. That means changing incentives so that wage earners can compete with investors.
Read MoreIt's the end of the world, and I feel fine
So, a record deficit huh? The scene is being painted for a chop-chop Budget, but is our public debt really that bad? Let's take a look at our history...
Read MoreDear Don – An Open Letter
The world has changed dramatically since 2005. The Don Brash prescription for change has not. But his venom is now directed at National under Key and English instead of Labour under Clark and Cullen
Read MoreG20: the return to austerity and its effect on NZ
The rest of the world is about to start reining in all those stimulus packages that took the edges off the recession. That could be really good for New Zealand, or really, really bad
Read MoreLeaky homes—our multi-billion dollar shame
The shameful saga of New Zealand’s leaky homes keeps dragging on—while more than 40,000 people sit in homes that are rotting away because of flawed law, lax regulation, and shoddy design and building practices in the 1990s
Read MoreThe Foreshore & Seabed review: winners and losers
The Ministerial Review of the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 points to a new way forward. Who are the winners from it, and who are the losers?
Read MoreNational's big test: A 'brave budget' with no tax cuts
Unless the G20 saves the world or the recession suddenly does the u-turn, National has only got a month before it must bite the bullet and cancel next year's tax cuts
Read MoreBig bangs, bailouts, and bulldust
Governments around the world are getting it in the neck for doing too much or too little to pull their economies out of the global recession. So why should John Key go scot-free when he talks about bailing out F&P Appliances – and what is he doing to stimulate the rest of us?
The Hangover Election
Jon damns the media coverage in this campaign, reviews the Clark era, and picks his standout moment of election night.
Read MoreNational News Brief, Monday November 10
Key in a rush to establish government; Phil Goff tipped to lead Labour; tax cut legislation before Christmas; NZ First future unclear; property prices down 6.8 percent; and more
Read MoreClark and Cullen have won the war, regardless of Saturday's battle
While the outcome of the election hangs in limbo for a few more days, one thing is sure – Labour is fighting desperately against a mood for a change which has been entrenched for many months
Read MoreGenerational change: a question of language
An important dimension underpinning generation change is political language. Jon Johansson analyses both main party leader's opening addresses and finds scant evidence of any new paradigm emerging.
Read MoreDoing the Bipolar Flip
From BEFU to PREFU, from budget to election, our politicians are having to flip and flop to make their policies fit the times
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