Liam Hehir writes: Wayne Brown’s claim that the Government’s proposed rates cap would save Auckland households “just $2.79 a month” is eye-catching, quotable, and deeply misleading. Not because the rates cap is necessarily a good idea, but because Brown’s framing badly understates its real effect. … Rates are a compounding charge. What matters is not the first-year […] The post Wayne Brown ignores cumulative effects first appeared on Kiwiblog.

The Taxpayers’ Union points out: Too often, Hōne Heke is reduced to a caricature: “the man who chopped down the flagpole.” What’s missing from most retellings is why he did it. Hōne Heke wasn’t just protesting symbolism. He was protesting taxation. In 1841, he was angered by the new Government’s introduction of tariffs on tea, sugar, flour, grain, […] The post Hone Heke tax rebel first appeared on Kiwiblog.

The post General Debate 17 February 2026 first appeared on Kiwiblog.

Radio NZ reports: Rurawhe, who served as the Te Tai Hauāura MP for three terms, also offered a candid reflection on Labour’s time in government, saying the party should’ve done more to bring the public along on key Māori policies. He said that while he had advocated for a Māori Health Authority, Rurawhe said in […] The post A sensible retiring Labour MP first appeared on Kiwiblog.

NBC reports: Japan’s conservative prime minister Sanae Takaichi has won a landslide victory after she gambled on a high-stakes snap election. Takaichi, who took office in October after being elected leader of the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), surpassed the 310 seats needed for a supermajority in the 465-seat lower house, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported from the […] The post A conservative landslide in Japan first appeared on Kiwiblog.

The Herald reports: A damning review of the Teaching Council says the agency has lost focus on its core function of safeguarding children and needs transformative change to ensure it is meeting critical regulatory responsibilities. … The report says the council is focused on “building the mana” of teachers and “being liked by the profession”. […] The post This is why the Govt is sidelining the Teachers’ Council first appeared on Kiwiblog.

The post General Debate 16 February 2026 first appeared on Kiwiblog.

Stuff reports: New Zealand First is campaigning for a referendum to be held on the future of Māori electorates. Let’s do the time warp again! But this isn’t the first time Peters has called for a referendum on the Māori seats. Ahead of the 2017 election, he said a binding referendum on the policy was a “bottom […] The post Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me first appeared on Kiwiblog.

A guest post from the Sensible Sentencing Trust: The October sentencing of Daytona Thompson in the High Court at New Plymouth has reignited debate about how New Zealand responds to single-punch killings. Thompson fatally struck Daniel Nganeko outside the Tukapa Rugby and Sports Club in July 2025. There was no provocation. The blow caused Nganeko […] The post Guest Post: Sentencing reform for coward-punch manslaughter requires more than a new label first appeared on Kiwiblog.

I had the privilege of attending a Bill Bryson event in Auckland on Thursday evening. While I had laughed at many of his travel books, he made the greatest impression on me – as a teacher of Science (etc) – with the Short History of Nearly Everything published in 2003. From that point on I […] The post Bill Bryson and the Short History of Nearly everything 2.0. first appeared on Kiwiblog.

The post General Debate 15 February 2026 first appeared on Kiwiblog.

The Post reports: Transmission Gully motorists will be able to travel at a new 110kph speed limit between Wellington and the Kāpiti Coast. The new speed limit will take effect from 12.01am on Monday. The new higher speed limit applies to the 27‑kilometre section of State Highway 1 between the Linden and Paekākāriki interchanges, currently […] The post Transmission Gully to have 110 km/hr speed limit first appeared on Kiwiblog.

The Post reports: Wellington mayor Andrew Little has given a personal pledge to bring down the city’s commercial rates differential but doesn’t yet know if he has the council backing he will need. Shouldn’t be hard. The six independents should all be in favour. Little makes seven. He only needs one Labour Councillor with him […] The post The challenge for Little is to deliver first appeared on Kiwiblog.

The post General Debate 14 February 2026 first appeared on Kiwiblog.

The Herald has documents in relation to the court case between Te Pati Maori and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. What is fascinating is how they reveal the extent of the Tamihere family control of the party. It goes well beyond what we already knew. Here is what has been revealed: So a majority of the officers and […] The post Is it a party or a family? first appeared on Kiwiblog.

The Herald reports: A Judicial Conduct Panel investigating the actions of a judge has been played a video of a King’s Counsel being asked to leave a New Zealand First event, with a party official claiming the respected lawyer was “entitled”, “unstable” and she feared for her safety. “I asked him to leave,” the party’s […] The post Judge Aitken not helping Judge Aitken first appeared on Kiwiblog.

The Australian Liberal Party has just rolled leader Sussan Ley, and replaced her with Angus Taylor. Ley was in the moderate faction and Taylor in the National Right or conservative faction. The Liberals had fallen behind One Nation in recent polls, which is what precipitated the change. However it is far from clear if this […] The post A new Liberal Party leader first appeared on Kiwiblog.

The Herald reports: Labour MP Cushla Tangaere-Manuel is suggesting her party will work with Te Pāti Māori “when they sort their issues out”. It follows Labour’s Māori caucus co-chairman Willie Jackson telling a Waitangi Day festival crowd his party will “work with the Greens, the Māori Party, whoever” to oust the coalition Government. It is […] The post Labour ready to do deal with Te Pati Maori first appeared on Kiwiblog.

The post General Debate 13 February 2026 first appeared on Kiwiblog.

Stuff reports: With a fiery show outside Parliament, politicians heard how “discriminatory” immigration rules mean Pacific Islanders are being blocked from attending funerals, graduations, and other important events in New Zealand. … Unlike travellers from more than 60 other nations, who can get online travel authority (NZeTAs), travellers from the Pacific face far more stringent paperwork to […] The post Winston campaigning for more illegal immigrants into NZ first appeared on Kiwiblog.

The Herald reports: The Government’s flagship regional development body has more than half of its loan book flagged as at risk after recording a surge in impairment write-offs over the past year. Crown Regional Holdings (CRH) warehouses government regional development initiatives and manages hundreds of millions of dollars in loan and equity funding provided to […] The post The Government is a terrible bank first appeared on Kiwiblog.

Stuff reports: It is a New Zealand first. A District Court judge is having her conduct examined by a Judicial Conduct Panel after she allegedly shouted “he’s lying” as Winston Peters was making a speech at Auckland’s Northern Club. Must be tempting to make Winston Attorney-General as a response 🙂 Now, a Judicial Conduct Panel, comprising of […] The post Not quite right first appeared on Kiwiblog.

The post General Debate 12 February 2026 first appeared on Kiwiblog.

The appeal by Brendon Tarrant is a desperate bid for attention, rather than a serious judicial process. Tarrant is obviously unhappy that he has faded from public consciousness, so this is a way to try and get a few more minutes of fame, or infamy. It is dangerous to predict the Court of Appeal, but […] The post Desperate for attention first appeared on Kiwiblog.

Chris Bishop announced some significant and sensible changes to the driver licence system. They are: These look like they should lead to safer learner drivers, but also fewer costs and hurdles. The post Sensible driver licence changes first appeared on Kiwiblog.