What legacy does David Lange have, 40 years since he became Prime Minister?
On July 26th 1984, David Lange was sworn in as the 32nd Prime Minister of New Zealand. His ascension into the country’s top job came after Robert Muldoon’s infamous snap election ended his nine years in power. Best remembered for enshrining New Zealand’s nuclear free status, Lange also oversaw co…
Whenua: NZ Herald project explores how Māori land passed into Pākeha ownership
Aotearoa’s complicated history of land sales is the focus of a new series from the New Zealand Herald. Whenua: Our Land, Our History, is an interactive map showing how Māori land passed into Pākehā ownership and the stories surrounding it. It confronts questions some of us prefer not to ask becau…
The stories behind the Abuse in Care Inquiry
Nearly three-thousand experiences have been heard in 133 days of public hearings, and more than a million documents received. It’s been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established – to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerabl…
After CrowdStrike, are we at risk of another major tech outage?
Our Y2K bug fears became a reality when millions of computers were disabled worldwide over the weekend. Microsoft estimates the outage meant about 8.5 million computers were disabled when an update from global cybersecurity company, CrowdStrike, went wrong. Banks, airports, supermarkets, media co…
Joe Biden won't seek re-election - What next for the Democrats?
Joe Biden is stepping down from the US presidential election race. He says his decision to stand down "is in the best interest of his party and the country" Biden has endorsed Kamala Harris, the current vice-president, to be the new Democratic candidate – along with a strings of other key Democ…
Minister Matt Doocey fronts on Government's plans for mental health
It’s no secret New Zealand is suffering a major mental health crisis. Many people, including teens and children, often wait weeks to see someone when they seek help. It's so dire, a survey of those at the coal face of the crisis describes a system that’s under pressure, under-resourced, and und…
What led to SkyCity agreeing to a temporary casino closure?
SkyCity Auckland will close its casino for five days following a Department of Internal Affairs investigation – set to cost the company a million dollars a day. It was prompted by a complaint from a customer who gambled there between 2017 and 2021 – with 23 incidents where they were able to gamble…
Is government intervention needed to break up NZ's supermarket duopoly?
An investigation into the supermarket majors is underway as a merger of hundreds of stores around New Zealand fails to satisfy our competition watchdog. Ahead of its final decision later this year, the Commerce Commission said that a merger of Foodstuffs North Island and Foodstuffs South Island wo…
Do we need more competition and regulation in the banking sector?
An inquiry into New Zealand’s banking competition, or lack thereof, is currently underway. Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced it in June, putting particular emphasis on rural banking and lending. A ComCom market study has already, unsurprisingly, found a lack of competition among our larges…
What will Trump assassination attempt mean for US election?
US politics is in a freefall, after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. The shooting killed a spectator and injured two others – while the Secret Service fatally shot the gunman, a 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania, where the rally was being held. The shocking incident c…