Articles in ‘Opinion’

Sue Grey – Lawyer & Freedom Advocate MJ: Hi everybody… I'm so delighted that we've got Sue Gray, lawyer, coming to have a chat today…Sue, the last three years, you have stood out…. And done amazing work and I'm amazed what you've managed to achieve. SG: Thanks MJ, ..It's certainly been a pretty wild ride for the last few years. We're all learning every day and we wake up in…

MJ: Hi everybody and welcome to another episode of Free Speech Space with MJ. Today we’re talking with Bruce Crocombe and he’s been doing an audit on our voting system for the last three years. He’s retired out of the scientific area, so data sets is something that he knows all about and has been doing all of his life. Now... The million dollar question, is our voting system…

Laeo Tildsley – Democracy NZ Candidate MJ: Hi everybody and welcome back to another episode of the free speech space with MJ. And today we’re talking with Laeo Tildesley. And Laeo is with Democracy NZ. She’s a candidate currently in the in the mix master of the voting machine. And we’re going to be talking to her about why is she standing? And what does she want to bring to the…

MMP with Amanda Vickers Amanda Vickers did a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in physiology, followed by an honours year (first class). She also has a veterinary science degree. Amanda worked extensively in the UK with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, helping to eradicate swine fever and afterwards Foot and Mouth Disease, before returning to New Zealand…

Farmer James has been described as a “real kiwi, real chat. bloody good bloke who gives a damn about everyone. kicks in where he needs to kick in with all his strength and compassion. more blokes like this needed in our world!” Watch the video above or read some of the excerpts to see what all the fuss is about. MJ: Today we’re talking with Farmer James. And you’re watching…

Join MJ as he chats to Groundswell founder Bryce Mckenzie about how Groundswell came about, what it stands for, the need for change at this election and the latest Groundswell initiative, Drive For Change. • seeking solutions to environmental issues which are effective and that can be tailored to regional differences. • integrated policy framework for all environmental issues to…

Daniel Newman is the Manurewa-Papakura Ward councillor who voted for a balanced budget while rejecting a big borrow-up and 14 per cent rate increases. He is also the deputy chairperson of the Wiri Licensing Trust and is focussed on delivering a range of renewed community assets for families throughout Manurewa and Papakura. By a majority decision, Auckland Council has balanced…

exclusively on Voice Media Samantha Blanchard wrote, produced and directed the documentary Silenced, released at www.silenced.co.nz, at Easter this year. Samantha holds a degree in broadcast journalism and writes for a local print publication in the Tasman region. Silenced is her first documentary: a gentle introduction to the imbalance of reporting and the silencing of…

exclusively on Voice Media Matt King Leader of Democracy NZ Matt King, the leader of the Democracy New Zealand party talks to MJ about his life in politics and what inspired him to set up his own party, Democracy NZ that is running for election this year with the desire to reach the 5% threshold and make a difference for all New Zealanders. They discuss the current government…

exclusivley on Voice Media The Police Attacked Me & Broke My Sternum bone Jeanette Wilson travelled to the Wellington protests as paid of the Trucker’s convey that ran the length of the country. Her experience on that last day resulted in her being arrested and a broken sternum, she says was at the hands of the police. She reported it to the IPCA, (Independent Police Complaints…

Science is a method of enquiry based on reason, evidence and hypothesis. It is a stylised, investigative and methodical form of “common sense”. From it, comes our ability to think for ourselves which is probably our greatest gift both for our own personal development and for a just and empathetic society based on freedom of expression and democracy. Up to a point, science has…

exclusivley on Voice Media Science & common sense, verses science as a belief system and Covid19 Join MJ as he chats to Professor Robin Wakelin, about amongst other things, science and common sense and the evolution of science over the last few years. Dr Robin Wakeling is a microbiologist and biodeterioration expert. Holding a PhD in fungal ecology from the University of…

By Guy Hatchard PhD So what exactly will the regulator’s draconian powers replace? • Well of course free speech—the right to speak your mind—will be off the table. In other words, the ordinary process of discourse will be muted by the fear of arbitrary punishment. • This will supersede the NZ Bill of Rights, which was designed to guarantee our freedom of thought, conscience,…

Unfortunately, welfare spending is addictive. And addictive in two ways. First, once government has committed to a particular level of benefit, it is exceedingly difficult to reduce that level. And second, the benefit itself changes behaviour: many people who might otherwise have tried harder to find employment choose to go on, or stay on, a benefit, something strongly…

PART ONE Over the last couple of decades, the world has watched the Middle East as country after country has tried to establish a democratic regime and country after country has failed. The United States and its allies toppled Saddam Hussein and announced that they wanted to see a democratic regime take root in Iraq. The western powers helped to topple Colonel Gaddafi in Libya,…

As I write this, the Auckland region has been hit by once-in-a-century flooding. Over a third of Auckland’s annual average rainfall fell in just 24 hours at the start of the Anniversary Weekend. And it’s not over yet. More bad weather is forecast, with red and orange warnings issued for heavy rain. Our Franklin district has been seriously affected, albeit not quite as badly as…

A couple of months back I wrote a column on New Zealand’s high and, at that time, accelerating rate of inflation. I concluded that column with the following comment: There has to be some risk that, faced with growing public concern about inflation and the impact of the rising interest rates which the Reserve Bank is using to get on top of inflation, the Government will reach…

As we look into the New Year, there are a lot of crucial issues facing the country – how do we deal with the ongoing unaffordability of housing (notwithstanding the recent fall in house prices); how do we increase our rate of productivity growth so that we can afford the good things of life that wealthier countries take for granted; how do we improve the serious problems in our…

We are living in an uncertain world. After the ups and downs of Covid, many hoped we would return to a sense of normalcy, but life is very different now, not just on the home front but across the world, and we are having to deal with a high degree of uncertainty. Sadly, at this time last year, I wrote that uncertainty was the biggest factor we were facing, with the traffic light…

The last time inflation was over 7% was more than 30 years ago, and I was responsible for doing what Adrian Orr, the current Governor of the Reserve Bank, is trying to do now: get inflation back to the target mandated by the Minister of Finance, in my case within a 0 to 2% range, and Mr Orr’s case within a range of 1 to 3%. A few weeks ago, there was at least some cheering when…