David Clark | Issue 22

Posted 3:10pm Sunday 6th September 2015 by David Clark

Student politics was lively when I was studying on campus. It was the early days of student loans and sentiment ran high. Memorably, one protestor threw himself under Education Minister Lockwood Smith’s car on a visit to the university. Grant Robertson — then OUSA president, now Labour Read more...

David Clark | Issue 21

Posted 2:16pm Sunday 30th August 2015 by David Clark

As more information has leaked about the highly secretive draft Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, I’ve become more concerned about just what the government wants to sign us up for. Don’t get me wrong, Labour supports free trade. That’s why we signed a free trade agreement with Read more...

David Clark | Issue 20

Posted 2:38pm Sunday 16th August 2015 by David Clark

I was chuffed to receive an invitation to the University of Otago annual Law Revue a few weeks ago. For me, live entertainment with satire that nudges boundaries is an indispensable part of life on campus. It should be celebrated at every opportunity.  Along with its more grandiose Read more...

David Clark | Issue 19

Posted 2:43pm Sunday 9th August 2015 by David Clark

As a student, I ate a lot of instant noodles. Carbohydrates are cheap. In one flat, we budgeted two packs of spaghetti between four for a meal. Filling, but not too pricey. If we had lentils on top — instead of mince — we could afford a recognisable cut of meat the next night. Read more...

David Clark | Issue 18

Posted 3:17pm Sunday 2nd August 2015 by David Clark

One of my favourite artists — Ewan McDougall — recently showed me one of his newly completed oil-on-canvas paintings. The painting is entitled “Pretty Relaxed Akshully”. In it, a suited figure smoking a cigar reclines atop a sea of despairing faces. True to Ewan’s Read more...

David Clark | Issue 17

Posted 2:55pm Sunday 26th July 2015 by David Clark

I was disappointed to see students lose their second seats on University Council. The change is part of a 1980s-style downsizing of university councils around the country.  Steven Joyce has dictated that universities should no longer have the broad representation Cambridge and Oxford Read more...

David Clark | Issue 16

Posted 2:37pm Sunday 19th July 2015 by David Clark

The increasing incidence of homelessness and poverty in the land of milk and honey bothers me. I stood for parliament because I am concerned that our society is increasingly out of whack. When the economy grows, those on modest and middle incomes seem to miss out on the benefits.  Growing Read more...

David Clark | Issue 15

Posted 2:50pm Sunday 12th July 2015 by David Clark

It is hard to believe a week has passed since the Highlanders’ historic first Super15 win. I was lucky enough to be at Forsyth Barr Stadium for the semi-final win over the Chiefs. Suddenly anything looked possible. Although the final was tense viewing, my hunch proved right, my bets were well Read more...

David Clark | Issue 14

Posted 2:46pm Sunday 5th July 2015 by David Clark

The government has to make choices. Limited tax revenue, increasing costs of superannuation and burgeoning healthcare expenses all add up to pressure on our country’s budget. That said, politicians have the job of prioritising spending, and it should be done in a way that creates opportunities Read more...

David Clark | Issue 13

Posted 2:03pm Sunday 24th May 2015 by David Clark

You can’t build an economy on houses, dairy and natural disasters alone. The government’s chance to get back on the front foot lay in last week’s budget. They’ve told us they will fail for the seventh time to achieve a surplus, despite making it the central promise of the Read more...