Independent political analysis that challenges conventional wisdom and questions the narratives others accept without scrutiny. We examine New Zealand's democracy, economics, and governance with the rigour they deserve but rarely receive. No party allegiance, no pulled punches, just evidence-based commentary that puts New Zealand's interests first. On a lighter note, we also poke the borax where appropriate with hopefully diverting commentary on some of the quirks and outright craziness of characters and issues that strut our stage both here and abroad.
Steve Baron Unfiltered: Common Sense in Uncommon Times
A Crisis of Participation Three in four Auckland voters did not vote in the 2025 local elections. Let that sit for a moment. The national turnout was 40%, and Auckland’s…
Drive west out of Pukekohe and the city falls away fast. The motorway ends, the road narrows, and within a few kilometres you are in genuine rural New Zealand —…
Last November, I wrote about the nightman — that poor soul trudging around 1920s New Zealand emptying backyard dunnies, whose entire profession was wiped out by indoor plumbing within a generation. The…
A motorhome or campervan is the primary home for a growing number of New Zealanders — not a summer escape pencilled between work weeks, but the place they sleep, work,…
We all know the old cliché about one man’s terrorist being another’s freedom fighter. Like many clichés, it packs a lot of truth. But what if the terrorist wears a…
