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Don’t talk spending, talk about results
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Don’t talk spending, talk about results
It's not just how much the government takes from us or borrows.
Both Sides Now
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There has got to be a far better way
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There has got to be a far better way
There must be a better way to deal with Treaty and race issues in New Zealand.
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Rules for ministers not mere suggestions
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Rules for ministers not mere suggestions
Nobody at senior levels in government is taking responsibility anymore.
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Leading university back to the basics
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Leading university back to the basics
Don't lose heart now, University of Otago.
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Mr Speaker: open up your letterbox
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Mr Speaker: open up your letterbox
That the Speaker of the House is keeping his "correspondence" with former Labour MP Meka Whaitiri secret is outrageous.
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Who is riding on the ‘free’ buses?
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Who is riding on the ‘free’ buses?
Virtue is no longer its own reward.
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Three Waters is a magical fairy tale without a happy ending
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Three Waters is a magical fairy tale without a happy ending
We all like fairy stories but we shouldn’t encourage the Government to write them.
Dissatisfaction, but nothing changes
Dissatisfaction, but nothing changes
Somehow we are not getting through to those in charge of local and central government what is important to us and what is and isn’t working.
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Outrage not usually a helpful reaction
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Outrage not usually a helpful reaction
Being outraged has become the new national pastime.
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We must all play by rules of democracy
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We must all play by rules of democracy
According to our Electoral Commission (Te Kaitiaki Take Kōwhiri) New Zealand is a representative democracy.
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Māori govt names don’t explain function
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Māori govt names don’t explain function
In all this desperate urgency to reject colonial names in New Zealand we seem to be overlooking the basic reasons we have around what we call ourselves, our institutions and the place we live.
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Financial realities of chairing council committees
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Financial realities of chairing council committees
Since the amount of remuneration paid to local government councillors has been an amount which is intended to be like wages rather than an honorarium, there has been serious interest in what these...
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The hard facts about working as a New Zealand journalist
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The hard facts about working as a New Zealand journalist
The trust people have in the media in New Zealand has dropped to 45%.
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Govt not following its own principles
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Govt not following its own principles
With lockdowns and a closed New Zealand behind us it is time to look at how we can attempt to rejoin first-world-country status.
Entrenchment fiasco tests our trust in govt
Entrenchment fiasco tests our trust in govt
For a functioning democracy we can be proud of, trust in government is a bottom line.
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A business case for running buses
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A business case for running buses
Councils all over Otago want to run our buses.
Parking please: public want review
Parking please: public want review
With the incoming Dunedin City Council now led by a mayor who campaigned on a review of the George St work, the idea of a review must at least be on the agenda.
Partnerships must be well defined and communications clear
Partnerships must be well defined and communications clear
"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less." (Alice in Wonderland).
When you’re in a hole, maybe you should stop digging
When you’re in a hole, maybe you should stop digging
As Health, Safety and Wellbeing Officer for Dunedin I am proud to report on my achievements in this new and exciting role, writes regional councillor Hilary Calvert.
Oxymorons and gibberish; plain English please
Oxymorons and gibberish; plain English please
When politicians talk gibberish we should demand they tell us what is really going on. It should not be all about spin. It should be all about the substance.