My Opportunity Party treat from Rollickin Gelato in Christchurch. (R. Glennie) The New Zealand election 2026 is in its final stage. Neither of the big parties appears to be enthralling the voters. The Opportunity Party remains steady at about 7% in the polls. What can New Zealand expect in this final week of an election … Continue reading New Zealand election: the final week
National Party list oblivion one of elections quirks
National Party list M.P.'s could be wiped out at this election (Stuff). There is a potential nightmare facing the National Party list. In an election where a significant overhang is possible, several of the most senior National Party M.P.s could lose their jobs. It is just one of a few political quirks in the 2026 … Continue reading National Party list oblivion one of elections quirks
Labour Day weekend a chance to reflect
Labour Day is on Monday. We can thank Samuel Duncan Parnell for this. (Wikipedia) Labour Day is on Monday. The annual last long weekend of the year for most New Zealanders (Canterbury has Show Day on Friday 13 November). It is a chance to reflect on our rights as workers, the progress we have made … Continue reading Labour Day weekend a chance to reflect
Rural New Zealand in need of a rebuild
Sheep being moved to another paddock in Mackenzie Basin (R. Glennie) Rural New Zealand is a part of New Zealand society that both big parties pay a lot of lip service to. Labour and National both have rural candidates, and both parties have a storied history. Labour was born in Blackball, a former mining town … Continue reading Rural New Zealand in need of a rebuild
Mongrel Mob visit poor optics with historic precedence
Green M.P.'s Oriini Kaipara and Huhana Lyndon with the Mongrel Mob (R.N.Z.) A Mongrel Mob meeting with Green Party M.P.'s has caused a storm of controversy. History records that this is not the first time politicians have sat down with gangs. The late former Prime Minister Robert Muldoon is well known for having met with … Continue reading Mongrel Mob visit poor optics with historic precedence