CoveragePost
September 8, 2021
Analysis by Bryce Edwards. What exactly is plaguing the National Party? And would another leadership change help? These are the big and enduring questions that have surrounded the opposition party since they lost power in 2017. For the best answers to these questions, it’s well worth reading the latest piece by Matthew Hooton in the ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: What’s going on in the National Party?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/09/08/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-whats-going-on-in-the-national-party/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: What’s going on in the National Party?">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 23, 2021
EVENING REPORT: On Friday August 20 the Reserve Bank of New Zealand governor Adrian Orr told Bloomberg that a fundamental imbalance in the New Zealand economy is a lack of supply within the residential housing market. But will a supply correction alone resolve New Zealand’s affordable housing crisis? Stephen Minto analyses this question.
CoveragePost
August 10, 2021
Analysis by Bryce Edwards. Today’s New Zealand Herald cartoon shows a titanic-style National Party sinking beneath the waters while the captain orders “Full steam ahead!”. Cartoonist Daron Parton nicely sums up the general media perception about the state of the party after its annual conference at the weekend. While the party leadership are keen to ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Divisions threaten to sink National" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/08/10/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-divisions-threaten-to-sink-national/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Divisions threaten to sink National">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 7, 2021
Analysis by Bryce Edwards. Running alongside Judith Collins’ “Demand the Debate” campaign in public is something of a “Demand Reform” mood within her party. There will be heightened demands for change to be made to the top of the party this weekend, when National branch delegates convene for their Annual General Meeting. The conference looks ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: National’s internal discontent and mood for change" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/08/07/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-nationals-internal-discontent-and-mood-for-change/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: National’s internal discontent and mood for change">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 28, 2021
Analysis by Bryce Edwards. Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson like to think of themselves as leftwing politicians. So why aren’t they prioritising and championing the vulnerable at the bottom of society? Since Covid hit they have chosen economic policies that benefit the rich while pushing more into poverty. Increasing inequality was thrown into stark relief ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Labour’s sacrificing of the poor" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/07/28/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-labours-sacrificing-of-the-poor/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Labour’s sacrificing of the poor">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 23, 2021
Analysis by Bryce Edwards. It’s nearly a week since the “Howl of a Protest” took place throughout the country, and we’re still talking about the rural revolt. What are the farmers’ concerns? Are they legitimate? Has the rural-urban divide has become too deep, and will any of this have an impact on politics in Wellington? ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The Seriousness of the rural revolt" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/07/23/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-the-seriousness-of-the-rural-revolt/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The Seriousness of the rural revolt">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 12, 2021
Analysis by Bryce Edwards. The Government has begun a $3.5m advertising campaign to convince New Zealanders of the need for radical reform of our drinking, storm and wastewater. A consensus appears to be building on the need for change, but there are arguments against the Government’s “Three Waters” reforms. Have they come up with the ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The Democratic and equity deficits in the Three Waters reforms" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/07/12/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-the-democratic-and-equity-deficits-in-the-three-waters-reforms/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The Democratic and equity deficits in the Three Waters reforms">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 5, 2021
Analysis by Keith Rankin. I was encouraged to hear Nicola Willis, National Party’s spokesperson on housing, make the key point that the central problem in New Zealand’s housing crisis is that of people being squeezed out of the private rental market. I made this point and more in detail earlier this year (Solving the Housing ... <a title="Keith Rankin Essay – Unrented Rentals and Property Hoarders" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/07/05/keith-rankin-essay-unrented-rentals-and-property-hoarders/" aria-label="Read more about Keith Rankin Essay – Unrented Rentals and Property Hoarders">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 4, 2021
Analysis by Bryce Edwards. This week New Zealand was officially pronounced the second most peaceful nation on earth – just behind Iceland – in the publication of the annual Global Peace Index. New Zealand’s high “peacefulness” score was based on the country’s low amount of violence, conflict and terrorism. However, New Zealand was marked down ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Massive new government defence spending reconfirmed without NZ First" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/07/04/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-massive-new-government-defence-spending-reconfirmed-without-nz-first/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Massive new government defence spending reconfirmed without NZ First">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 30, 2021
Analysis by Bryce Edwards. Whenever governments attempt to regulate political speech and activity, the results often end up being problematic and potentially harmful to democracy and debate. Regardless of how good the intentions, such reforms often bring complications, confusion, and unintended ill-effects. That means any laws around “hate speech” need to be extremely clear and ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The confusing and concerning hate speech reforms" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/06/30/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-the-confusing-and-concerning-hate-speech-reforms/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The confusing and concerning hate speech reforms">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 26, 2021
Analysis by Bryce Edwards. At the end of another tumultuous week for National, two former senior staffers for Judith Collins have spoken out in savage terms about the state of the party. First Matthew Hooton argued that the party could be in mortal decline: “National has been in intensive care. It’s now moving to the ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Does National’s turmoil mean the party is terminal?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/06/26/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-does-nationals-turmoil-mean-the-party-is-terminal/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Does National’s turmoil mean the party is terminal?">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 18, 2021
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Environmental costs are a big deal, which need to be properly factored into our economic decision-making. Last week the Government announced a rebate scheme for electric and hybrid vehicles. These days we emphasise the very important greenhouse costs arising from the burning of fossil fuels: coal, petrol, gas. But they are ... <a title="Keith Rankin Analysis – Policies for Reducing the Environmental Costs of Urban Transport" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2021/06/18/keith-rankin-analysis-policies-for-reducing-the-environmental-costs-of-urban-transport/" aria-label="Read more about Keith Rankin Analysis – Policies for Reducing the Environmental Costs of Urban Transport">Read more</a>