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Gordon Campbell - Latest News [Page 3]
On Why The State Wants To Regulate How Children Play
Monday, 15 December 2025, 5:26 pm | Gordon Campbell
Nothing can help us better understand a wildly contentious issue than having someone from the ultra-right debate someone from the extreme right as to what the truest, bluest policies should be on tax, debt and government spending. More >>
On The Shrinking Lack Of Alternatives Here, And In The US
Friday, 12 December 2025, 2:05 pm | Gordon Campbell
Nicola Willis vs Ruth Richardson? Alien vs Predator ? Thankfully, everyone may now be having second thoughts. We all deserve better than a contest between these two over who can be the most socially tone-deaf advocate for small government. More >>
On Why Christmas Spending Is Starting To Feel Like A Scam
Tuesday, 9 December 2025, 5:18 pm | Gordon Campbell
Mother's Day, Father's Day...there are a couple of other occasions when shopping is mobilised to express love and appreciation. Christmas, however, is still far and away the biggest faux-sacred, family-based shopping festival of them all. More >>
On Our Reneging On Climate Change, And Labour’s Chronic Evasiveness
Thursday, 4 December 2025, 1:17 pm | Gordon Campbell
Politicians are often urged to reach consensus on certain issues, so that everything doesn’t just flip back again when there’s a change of government. Unfortunately, these calls for consensus are often made with regard to a controversial policy. More >>
On The Rates Cap Gambit, And Chile’s Dire Future
Tuesday, 2 December 2025, 1:33 pm | Gordon Campbell
The notion that local councils have been systematically extravagant is a myth. The vast bulk of council budgets is already being spent on core services (roading, water infrastructure etc) that have been sharply increasing in cost. More >>
On The Coup Against Local Government
Thursday, 27 November 2025, 12:47 pm | Gordon Campbell
It's democracy Jim, but not as we know it. In line with the plans that the government unveiled this week to reform local government, the recently elected regional councils will be scrapped, and their roles will be handed over to mayors. More >>
On Our Faith-Based Economic Recovery
Tuesday, 25 November 2025, 1:04 pm | Gordon Campbell
For months, the economic recovery has been said to be imminent, and the forecasters at the banks keep promoting that message, even though the former predictions of good times in 2025 have now been pushed back until...maybe next year? More >>
On The Ferries Fiasco, Soft Power And Gaza
Thursday, 20 November 2025, 1:18 pm | Gordon Campbell
Good to hear someone calling “bullshit” on Winston Peters, and on his claims to have saved the taxpayer $2.3 billion on the Cook Strait ferries. More >>
On Why We Should De-Criminalise Personal Drug Use
Monday, 17 November 2025, 1:14 pm | Gordon Campbell
For gangs, the Misuse of Drugs Act (1975) has been one of the best recruiting tools they’ve ever had. Criminalisation of a raft of illicit drugs not only provide s them with a wildly lucrative black market. More >>
On The Toxic Police Culture That Enabled Jevon McSkimming
Thursday, 13 November 2025, 1:02 pm | Gordon Campbell
In the wake of the IPCA report, it is easy to understand why the politicians have been so willing to endorse terms like “cover up” and “ corruption.” It is convenient to explain what went wrong in personal terms. More >>
On Asset Sales, And Targeting The Homeless
Tuesday, 11 November 2025, 2:40 pm | Gordon Campbell
So asset sales are back on the agenda, and will be dependent only on the coalition government getting re-elected next year. Yikes. Right wing governments are forever selling off the assets created by the state in more enlightened times. More >>
On Mamdani, And How The Luxon Government Is Expanding The Powers Of The State
Thursday, 6 November 2025, 12:59 pm | Gordon Campbell
Zohran Mamdani has won the mayoral race in New York & as the prophet Leonard Cohen once said, taking Manhattan is just the start. More than anything, Mamdani is providing leadership to New Yorkers, & especially to his generation. More >>
On How Rich People Feel Affronted By A Capital Gains Tax
Tuesday, 4 November 2025, 12:37 pm | Gordon Campbell
The wealthy, as F. Scott Fitzgerald suggested in his short story The Rich Boy, are different to you and me. Softer in some ways, harder and less trustful in others. More >>
On Our Looming Spending Spree On Japanese Frigates
Thursday, 30 October 2025, 12:57 pm | Gordon Campbell
Like the Americans, maybe we should be re-naming our Ministry of Defence as the Ministry of War. The new frigates New Zealand is about to buy will have a vastly greater operational range and be capable of carrying Tomahawk Cruise missiles. More >>
On Labour’s CGT, The Government’s Mean Spirit, And Timor-Leste’s Future
Tuesday, 28 October 2025, 2:02 pm | Gordon Campbell
Labour’s CGT would levy a 28% tax on sales of commercial properties and investment housing, and the $850 million it is expected to raise will be used to fund three free doctors visits per year, for everyone. More >>
On The Coalition’s Peddling Of Bad News As Good News
Friday, 24 October 2025, 12:47 pm | Gordon Campbell
At what point does a Cabinet minister distorting the statistics on issues in their portfolio amount to a sackable offence? More >>
On Māori Customary Rights, And Why Trump Thinks We Don’t Need AUKUS
Wednesday, 22 October 2025, 12:58 pm | Gordon Campbell
If something isn’t really broken, no wonder people feel suspicious when government promises to “fix” it to the potential benefit of corporate interests. More >>
On Why The Nation Seems To Be Stuck With Christopher Luxon
Monday, 20 October 2025, 1:30 pm | Gordon Campbell
When you wheel out Judith Collins as your weapon of last resort, you’ve already lost the battle for public opinion, and are pitching your messages solely to the party faithful. More >>
On The Government’s Dodgy Claims About Reading Achievement
Thursday, 16 October 2025, 12:51 pm | Gordon Campbell
The spectacular improvements in reading achievement announced by Education Minister Erica Stanford on Monday were almost too good to be true - so it isn’t surprising that the figures justifying those claims don’t stack up. More >>
On New Zealand’s Willing Submission To The Pentagon’s Command And Control
Monday, 13 October 2025, 1:11 pm | Gordon Campbell
The latest new-fangled Pentagon weapons often don’t work anywhere near as well as advertised. However, and as the F-35 saga has shown, the arms industry can still make mountains of money out of its unkept promises. More >>
