Our new PM has been Education Minister the past five years. So what's his view on the "Labour in Power: Rogernomics, 1984 to 1988" part of the school textbook, Big World, Small Country: the 20th Century & NZ's Place In It? That book is being used in schools to teach National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) History. It states: "Ironically it was the Labour government that, from 1935, introduced the major platforms of the welfare state; it would be another Labour

The government has ordered all schools, tertiary education institutions and early learning centers closed until February 7 to "minimize traffic movements on Auckland roads" whilst infrastructure is repaired. So education has been shut on the grounds there's a traffic benefit, a benefit that has been legitimately raised by the National Emergency Agency, which made the request. The PM's job was to quantify the costs of closing schools and weigh them up against the benefits rais

A day after Labour rebranded themselves as the party most concerned with day-to-day cost of living issues of ordinary Kiwis, which they tell us their team is best placed to address, out comes Finance Minister Robertson with his decision not to contest the electorate seat of Wellington Central in 2023 and become a list MP, the reason being he is too busy: "Being Minister of Finance is a huge job, and does often draw you away from electorate responsibilities," he said. "I am pa

I wrote an Opinion Piece for the Herald today - you can find it at this link, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/robert-macculloch-same-old-economic-plot-delivers-the-same-outcome/2XYJCQSEBZGNHNFEOFNGKBRFE4 or below: Former Prime Minister Ardern studied communications. Her replacement has been a policy wonk and politician for much of his life. The Leader of the Opposition was a brand manager. It’s not what you would expect from a country traditionally known for admiring practica

Welcome back! In 2021, DownToEarthKiwi predicted the 2023 election would be a cost-of-living election. Now, in his first speech as incoming PM, Chris Hipkins said his focus would be on the economy & cost-of-living. It constitutes a full re-branding of Labour. Why do that? To answer that question, let's first define former PM Ardern's legacy. In a line, it was a focus on non-economic and moral issues. If you read Ardern's Harvard address, it refers to the likes of abortion, gu