When the New Zealand Parliament debates “better law-making,” most people yawn. It sounds procedural, technocratic — even boring. But beneath the jargon of “clarity,” “predictability,” and “transparency,” lurks a political agenda. The Regulatory Standards Bill (RSB), first introduced in 2011 by ACT Party founder Roger Douglas’s disciple Rodney Hide and continuously revived in various guises… Continue reading The Regulatory Standards Bill: Neoliberal Shackles Disguised as “Good Law”
Month: May 2025
Rebuke and Resistance: Te Pāti Māori’s Protest, Abstentionism, and the Path to Indigenous Sovereignty
In November 2024, New Zealand’s Parliament became the stage for a historic act of defiance when Te Pāti Māori MPs performed a haka during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill. This cultural protest, met with harsh suspensions, reignited debates about the legitimacy of colonial institutions and the efficacy of Indigenous participation within them.… Continue reading Rebuke and Resistance: Te Pāti Māori’s Protest, Abstentionism, and the Path to Indigenous Sovereignty
Pay Equity Protest
Today Aotearoa Workers Solidarity Movement (AWSM) joined nation-wide protests against new legislation reversing pay equity in Aotearoa/New Zealand. AWSM participated in Rotorua for example, alongside approximately 50 others. The workers in the demonstration came from a range of organizations. There was an impressive variety of ages, ethnicities and genders represented. The protestors occupied the footpath… Continue reading Pay Equity Protest
Greenwashed Capitalism: The Limits of the Green Party’s 2025 Budget
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand recently released its alternative 2025 budget, a document that has been lauded by many on the liberal-left as bold, transformative, and progressive. With proposals including a wealth tax, inheritance tax, tax-free income brackets, and significant investments in healthcare, education, and climate infrastructure, the Greens have positioned themselves as… Continue reading Greenwashed Capitalism: The Limits of the Green Party’s 2025 Budget