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| A SORRY LOT 24 June 2008 |
| The Canadian Government recently formally apologised, in a special Parliamentary session, for Canada's treatment since the days of colonisation of indigenous people. Saying 'sorr is important...read more |
| THE POLITICS OF RETIREMENT 08 June 2008 |
| After nearly a decade out of power, it's easy to forget how dreadful, cynical and short-sighted the National Party has been in the past, especially in regard to the treatment of retired New Zealanders. They have done it again, with waffle on KiwiSaver...read more |
| HIGH NOON IN GENEVA, AGAIN 01 June 2008 |
| Agriculture has always been the deal-breaker or deal-maker in world trade talks at the World Trade Organisation...read more |
| WORDS MATTER 21 May 2008 |
| The Bible instructs us that, 'In the Beginning, there was the Word.' The cliché that 'sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me' is wrong...read more |
| THE 'P' WORD 16 May 2008 |
| In a rare moment of candour, the Minister of Police confessed we are losing the battle against methamphetamines, commonly known as P...read more |
| 'BUNKAM', POPULISM & DEMAGOGIC POLITICS 08 May 2008 |
| The word 'Bunkam' came into our political language from a North Carolina Representative who, when speaking in the US Congress, would say, "This is for Buncombe," his home town...read more |
| SUBSIDIES, SUBSIDIES - WHEN WILL WE LEARN ? 01 May 2008 |
| Mark Twain famously observed that man was the only species on earth that could blush .... or needed to. The present food crisis is man-made and has already pushed over a 100 million poor people in the poorest places further into desperate poverty...read more |
| REFLECTIONS ON THE FUTURE 27 April 2008 |
| It's like watching a repeat of the 1950's horror movie, 'The Return of the Body Snatchers'. Roger Douglas has always been for the 'big bang' theory of politics., Smash through or crash...read more |
| THE PHILOSOPHY OF PHILANTHROPY 23 April 2008 |
| I once was too cynical about philanthropy and charity. I saw people avoiding tax all week, and then on Sunday, dropping a few coins in the plate to appease their Gods and conscience. I was wrong. Well, mainly wrong...read more |
| FOOD FOR THOUGHT 17 April 2008 |
| Futurists have been predicting for some years that global warming and competition for resources poses real problems in terms of political stability, even security. A tsunami of economic migrants leaving failed states is a possibility...read more |
| THE MIDDLE EAST - REASONS TO HOPE 14 April 2008 |
| When we think of the Middle East, automatically most think of the agonies of Iraq and Palestine, that's like judging Asia because of Burma, or Africa because of The Congo. There's more to this region than that...read more |
| PROTEST & PRESSURE, GOOD; TRADE, EXCELLENT; OLYMPIC BOYCOTT, BAD ! 07 April 2008 |
| China has only become integrated into the global economy over the past 20 years, the results for China, stunning, hundreds of millions of people lifted out of extreme poverty. This lifts living standards worldwide, has kept global inflation down, and stretched families’ purchasing power....read more |
| THE MIDDLE EAST - WORK IN PROGRESS 20 March 2008 |
| The Middle East conjures up dark pictures in Westerners' minds, the agonies of Palestine and Iraq. That's like judging all of Africa because of Dufar, or all of Asia because of North Korea...read more |
| IT'S NOW OR NEVER...ALMOST, AT THE WTO 18 March 2008 |
| No-one was confident we would launch a new trade round when Ministers met in Doha when I was Director-General of the World Trade Organisation. We managed a launch because, in the end, there was so much in it for everyone...read more |
| POLITICAL COWARDICE ? 13 March 2008 |
| This year I've visited 8 countries, and everyone is talking about the American election. Everyone has an opinion of what's happening...read more |
| AN UPDATE ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVERSATION 12 March 2008 |
| Parliament meets this week. Several MP’s I’ve spoken to say they will discuss with colleagues in different parties the process of constitutional reform. It’s now more than a month since I launched a project suggesting we need a formal, agreed process to discuss...read more |
| REFLECTIONS ON POLITICAL COURAGE 06 March 2008 |
| In New York, I watched the Primary returns come in that rewarded Senator Barack Obama and his message of hope telling Americans, “Yes, we can.”...read more |
| AUCKLAND - A WORLD CITY ? 03 March 2008 |
| Our city governance has something to answer for. The compliance cost, red tape, filth, violence and traffic congestion is embarrassing! People want a safe, clean environment first...read more |
| GLOBAL POVERTY IS BEATABLE 15 February 2008 |
| Here’s some figures that you won’t believe if you read only the headlines about global poverty. More wealth has been created in the past 6 decades than in all previous history, and it’s reduced poverty...read more |
| DISSENT – J’ACCUSE 05 February 2008 |
| Dissent is the lifeblood and oxygen of progressive politics. It always has been. We social democrats trace our history of dissent back through the centuries as we wrung concessions out of the powerful and privileged. The Magna Carta, the glorious revolution in Britain when it was decided that ordinary men and women had rights...read more |
| PRIMARY COLOURS: ELECTION YEAR POLITICS – THE MEDIA & COALITION-BUILDING! 03 February 2008 |
| The American primary system, where parties choose their candidate, is far more open and transparent and more people are involved, 20% of the voters in some places, than in the NZ party system where very few people choose who will be the party candidates...read more |
| A FUNNY YEAR ? 01 February 2008 |
| 2008 is an important year for us all, not only because it’s election year but because, internationally, many great issues will come to the forefront...read more |
| NZ CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS - WHAT’S NEXT ? 24 January 2008 |
| I’m obliged to the media for its coverage of the complexities of how we discuss New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements. Unfortunately, some in the media have wrongly reported this is an attempt to impose a republic on NZ...read more |
| A BANANA REPUBLIC – WITHOUT THE BANANAS ? 15 January 2008 |
| New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements; a republic, will soon be on the political agenda, here’s why, and why it’s dangerous...read more |
| ELECTORAL POLLUTION 02 January 2008 |
| Climate change will continue to be a big issue in most countries in the new year. Many Governments, especially politicians seeking power, understand the potential of this issue to motivate voters...read more |
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