A Quick Chat With

Posted 11:27am Sunday 6th March 2016 by Joel MacManus

To call Todd Barclay’s life unusual would be an understatement. At just twenty four years old, not only did he put himself forward as a parliamentary candidate in Clutha-Southland, he won by a landslide and stepped into the gigantic shoes of the outgoing MP, Bill English.  I sat down Read more...

Free Tertiary Education Could Be A Reality

Posted 11:39am Sunday 6th March 2016 by Tom Kitchin

During the summer break, all students were hit with something that could create a substantial change in the tertiary education environment. There’s now a real possibility that university students in New Zealand will have access to free education. Labour leader Andrew Little presented a new Read more...

Nothing John Key Says This Year Will Matter

Posted 11:28am Sunday 28th February 2016 by Joel MacManus

I'm going to start this column off with a prediction for 2016. It’s not a very bold prediction. In fact it’s pretty much as safe as you can get in the unpredictable world of politics: At some point this year, John Key is going to say something really dumb and/or offensive. It Read more...

Kiwis In Australia On New Citizenship Pathway

Posted 11:30am Sunday 28th February 2016 by Hugh Baird

Talks last week between John Key and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull have made it easier for Kiwis living in Australia to seek Australian citizenship.  Prime Minister Turnbull announced the changes recently in a joint press conference during John Key’s trip to Sydney to meet Read more...

Year in Review

Posted 12:36pm Sunday 4th October 2015 by Henry Napier

It's come to the end of Critic's 2015 year. Therefore, it seems appropriate to look back on what has happened in politics over the last nine or so months. Party Performances The National Party: 7/10 National started the year in strides following a ground-breaking victory Read more...

Interview: James Shaw

Posted 12:39pm Sunday 4th October 2015 by Henry Napier

Back in May, James Shaw was travelling around the country on the Green Party regional tour for the co-leaders election. Critic was able to talk to him about his bid to co-lead the party. Shaw went on to win the co-leadership. Last week, we got to sit down with him again and hear what Read more...

Red Peak Climbs into the Mix

Posted 11:49am Sunday 27th September 2015 by Henry Napier

Prime Minister John Key has confirmed that the Red Peak flag design will be included in the first referendum, scheduled for November.  Last week the Green Party submitted a bill under urgency to parliament, seeking to amend the selection process to allow for five flags rather than Read more...

In My Opinion: Henry’s word | Issue 25

Posted 11:52am Sunday 27th September 2015 by Henry Napier

Last week the prime minister was asked the same question a record seven times, six times with exactly the same wording. Key was forced to masterfully deflect the long-time opposition favourite: Does he stand by all his statements? However, this time the old Trojan-horse question was accompanied by Read more...

UK Labour Party Heads Left

Posted 12:29pm Sunday 20th September 2015 by Henry Napier

After Ed Miliband’s departure last week, Jeremy Corbyn has been elected as the new leader of the UK Labour Party. Although an unlikely candidate, Corbyn won by a landslide majority with 60 percent of the vote. Corbyn received 251,000 of the 422,000 votes cast. Party members, registered Read more...

In My Opinion: Henry’s word | Issue 24

Posted 12:32pm Sunday 20th September 2015 by Henry Napier

Jacinda Ardern is young, popular and a woman. Those qualities have been entirely absent from the Labour Party leadership since Helen left. It’s about time they were brought back. The last four leaders of the Labour Party have been relatively interchangeable, at least on the surface. Phil Read more...