Opposing views
Free Liberal weblog comments on a Washington Times article detailing NZ’s anti-nuclear stance, military capabilities, and reliance on its more powerful neighbour. “An interesting story about how NZ's rather modest defense budget and decision to stay out of military conflicts has allowed the nation to … retain its independence on the global stage. Something tells me that because of policies like these (as compared to Washington's belligerence) Wellington is pretty far down on Bin Laden's list of targets. Oh, and before you think of NZ as a bunch of socialists, it must be noted that Heritage Foundation ranked the nation third on its 2004 index of economic freedom, a full seven slots higher than the U.S. of A.”
(27 May 2005)
   

You can’t buy happiness
NZ born lecturer of economics at Stanford University, John McMillan, believes that the obsession NZ politicians have with raising the country’s per capita income to equal that of Australia is a waste of time. “Any cross-country comparison of living standards should be taken with a grain of salt. There is no dependable way to do it. If we must do such comparisons, we should look at an eclectic range of measures and make an overall evaluation based on all of them.” For example, he points out, Australia may rank higher than NZ in the per capita income stakes, but NZ enjoys a much higher rating on the Happiness and the Human Development Index.
(28 June 2005)

Kiwis in flight
The “brain drain” issue is back in the news with a vengeance, sparked by Immigration Minister Paul Swain’s newly minted campaign to lure ex-patriots home. Writing in the NZ Herald writer Simon Collins received a staggering number of replies to his online questionnaire directed at overseas New Zealanders, which centred on questions such as “Do you intend to return to NZ definitely soon/definitely eventually/possibly/never? Why?” and “How do your current income and living costs compare with your potential income and living costs in NZ?” An OECD report released just days after the launch of Swain’s campaign shows that NZ has the greatest number of skilled workers living abroad of any developed nation. The issue is sure to be a major one this year, and for many years coming. Russell Brown's 15 March blog on the subject attracted a lot of commentary and messages.
(March 2005)
   

Putting our money where our mouth is
In a show of commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, NZ became the first country in the world to levy a public carbon tax. NZers will now pay an extra $2.90 per week for electricity, petrol and gas, which is expected to add about 6% to household energy prices and 9% to businesses. The idea is to make polluting energy sources such as oil and coal more expensive than cleaner ones such as hydro, wind and solar power. Guardian: “The experiment will be watched closely by bigger countries which are also committed to reducing carbon emissions but are failing to reduce energy demand.”
(5 May 2005)
   

Employment looking up
According to new figures released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), NZ has the second highest employment growth rate in the developed world. The report shows that NZ’s labour force grew 3.4% last year, up from 2.3 in 2002 and 2003. The top five countries listed were Mexico, NZ, Ireland, Greece and Spain.
(29 June 2005)

Narrowing the Gulf
NZ has forged closer ties with Bahrain, signing two major agreements on bilateral cooperation in March. “We have vast potential for co-operation, and we have much to gain from each other's experience,” said Bahrainian PM Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. “We look forward to working with you to construct the framework through which our peoples can move closer together.”
(30 March 2005)
   

Basis for change
The British government is considering an overhaul of its outdated pension scheme based on the current NZ system. According to the Times, the state of women’s pensions in the UK is “a national scandal” in urgent need of attention. In NZ, a flat-rate payment equal to approximately £94.48 per week is made to all people over 65, on the condition that they have lived in the country for at least ten years. Raising the income of elderly women means that only around 5% of pensioners live in poverty, compared to 20% in Britain.
(21 October 2004)
   

Tycoon Teece
Berkeley Planet profiles David Teece, the man dubbed an “economics rock star” by the NZ government and one of the world’s top 50 business intellectuals by global management giant Accenture. As well as advising PM Tony Blair on economic policy, founding Russia’s first major league business school, owning Canterbury International apparel, founding the large global firm the Law and Economic Consulting Group, and establishing and funding the Kiwi Expat Association for professional experts, the Nelson native holds the Mitsubishi Bank Chair in International Business and Finance at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and directs its Institute of Management, Innovation and Organization.
(6 August 2004)
   

Review of the Market Years
Illinois' Hillsdale College, published an overview of New Zealand Government reforms in the 80s and 90s, penned by former NZ MP Maurice McTigue. The article argued that high living standards result from significant ingenuity operating in a free market environment, not from protectionism, taxation and layers of Government.
(15 May 2004)

World Gender Role
Amanda Ellis -  formerly head of women's banking for Westpac Australia - now has a global role leading the World Bank's work on gender in Private Sector Development. Ms Ellis also serves on the OECD's international advisory board for women's entrepreneurship, the Commonwealth Businesswoman Leaders Network, and was recently a guest speaker at the RBC Royal Bank's Women Trading Globally seminar in Vancouver.
(30 March 2004)

100 years of class
Worldwide centenary celebrations for Rolls Royce  were launched in NZ January 25, with a commemorative dinner for fans and owners held in Auckland. 50 of the company's luxury cars - including a 1912 Silver Ghost and a 1923 Silver Ghost built for the then Prince of Wales - made a 17-day tour of NZ before heading off to Australia, Europe, and the US.
(January 2004)

Nukes not the issue
State Department spokesman, Phillip Reeker, dismissed claims that NZ’s anti-nuclear policy was a barrier to a free-trade agreement with the US on his recent trip to Wellington. “If you want to re-examine that policy, that would be great. We would love to be able to cooperate more fully with New Zealand as we did in the past. But those are decisions New Zealanders have to make and we respect your decisions and we'll continue to have a solid relationship regardless of your decisions.” He also insisted that a free-trade agreement was not the “be-all-and-end-all” of US-NZ relationship.
(22 November 2003)
    

Edge breath freshener 
Sweden’s Right Livelihood Award Foundation – the “alternative Nobel” - honoured former-PM David Lange for his “steadfast work over many years for a world free of nuclear weapons.” The foundation was formed in 1980 by former European Parliament member and stamp dealer, Jakob von Uexkull, who believed that the Nobel Prize ignored contributions towards social responsibility and world peace made by those from less-developed nations. Lange felt humbled by the award, and was quick to point out the many “driving forces” behind NZ’s ongoing anti-nuclear stance. Lange famously remarked at the Oxford Union that he could "smell the uranium" on the breath of a contesting debater.
(2 October 2003)
       

God defend your freeland
"This is your country and you have the power to change it and uphold all that is good and right. I am saddened to know that many do not vote and still complain about America…" Although Kara Smith's NZ citizenship prevents her from voting, it didn't affect her having her say as the NZ student scooped first prize in a US democracy essay contest. 
(6 June 2002)
        

For the people
Don't cry for me Argentina. The BBC looks at the progress of KiwiBank: " New Zealand, more often famed for its sheep population than its financial sector, is attempting to shake-up its banking system with a new state-owned venture. With plans for the biggest branch network, no business customers, and a New Zealand-owned and operated focus, Kiwibank is rapidly making its mark in the retail scene."
(03 May 2002)
       

Protecting shared heritage
The NZ and Australian governments are making a combined application to the World Intellectual Property Organisation to protect the use of the word Anzac. Both countries have legislated against the unauthorised use of the word at home, and are now seeking to extend this control via international treaties.
(15 April 2003)
     

Clark puts money where her mouth is
The NZ government is contributing NZ$3.3 million in humanitarian aid to war-torn Iraq. The announcement by Foreign Minister Phil Goff came just days after the U.S and its allies commenced war in the Middle East. The money will be spread amongst relief agencies including the World Food Program, UNICEF and the Red Cross.
(20 March 2003)
   

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The taxman only rings once
An end to double-taxation in Australasia seems imminent after meetings between Australian Treasurer Peter Costello and NZ Minister of Finance Michael Cullen. The removal of "triangular-tax" is expected in the near future, in a move sure to encourage Trans-Tasman investment.
(19 February 2003)
      

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Enough with the pavlova war
"ANZAC sibling rivalry must end," says High Court judge Michael Kirby. Kirby has proposed a common passport, currency and tax system to honour the 2015 centenary of Gallipoli. Visiting Australian Treasurer Peter Costello: "A single Anzac currency might be possible in future but political union is unlikely."
(21 February 2003)
   

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A strange breed
"Because of the congenial climate and lack of pollution, Godzone politicians are generally taller and stronger than those cloned overseas. Nestled at the bottom of the world, gravity is stronger and extra strength is required to stand and face the disbelieving people." Upper Hutt wit Lance Broughton pokes fun at local politicos courtesy of satirical site, goOff.com.
(3 December 2002)
   

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"Go to the world girls and conquer it".
"Top city dame teaches Brit woman a trick or two": BBC News series on women in business profiles overachieving NZer and head of City of London, Dame Judith Mayhew."For a glimpse of Britain's future, look not to your horoscope or government flier, but the next flight to Wellington, Auckland, or Otago. Matthews explains her femme edge: "The colonies developed women's rights early on, because you could not ignore half your workforce, ... They had to clear the land with the men and get the tents up. New Zealand is led by women. The prime minister is a woman, the chief justice is a woman, the governor general a woman, the chief executive of the largest company is a woman..." (above: Mayhew meets Rudolph Giuliani)
(10 October 2002)
      

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New Zealand zeal
Kiwi beats the Tigers: "Kiwi businesspeople often speak of their country as a cork floating on the sea of the world economy. At least their cork floats; so many other nations have sunk in the past decade including Argentina, Russia, Thailand, South Korea [...]". A growing economy makes the Kiwi state an attractive option for investors: "if you are an optimist about the world, place your chips on the Kiwis." 
(July/August 2002)

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NZ press-ganged in The Australian
Greg Sheridan, using some sobering cliches, gives his views on the trans-Tasman relationship: as well as comparing NZ to Tasmania he invokes ghosts of ANZUS past and our "unreliable" unwillingness to join Australia in Pax-Americana, as reasons why NZ won't be part of a joint free-trade deal. "NZ is a place of infirmity and irrelevance [...] the Howard Government is well advised to keep its distance from the eccentric Kiwis." Read one way it's a decent snapshot of how some Aussies see us through the corkscrews; read another, it's a strong provocation and affirmation of the edge metaphor.
(20 July 2002)
         

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Pacific protest
Yachts containing more than 50 protesters from NZ, Australia and Vanuatu confronted a ship carrying nuclear waste through the Tasman Sea from Britain to Japan. According to Greenpeace, the cargo contained enough nuclear material for 50 bombs, thus rendering it a terrorist target as well as a potential environmental disaster. 
(22 July 2002)
          

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Georgie girl  
"Quintessentially NZ story" highlight of Sydney Film Fest. Annie Goldson's "Georgie Girl" follows the edgy life of Georgina Beyer - the world's first transsexual MP - from her days as a sex-worker and drug user, to her inauguration as Mayor of Carterton and eventual election to Parliament: "the stallion who became a gelding, the gelding that became a mayor, and the mare who finally became a member".
(9 June 2002)
      

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Off the sheep's back?
The BBC looks at the changing iconic status and importance of the sheep to the New Zealand economy. Sheep numbers have fallen from 70 million to 40 million in the last two decades and farmers are under increasing pressures to diversify as drought and rising returns from forestry and the dairy industry have meant that sheep farming pastures are not so green. Still, it concludes, culturally and economically NZ will continue to count on sheep - zzzzz. 
(2 May 2002)
           

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Wading into a globalisation debate
Prospect ("Britain's intelligent conversation") hosts a debate between prominent LSE economist NZer Robert Wade and Martin Wolf over whether global inequality and poverty are actually getting worse. Wade: "At the heart of our disagreement, I think, is the question about how far rich countries in general should go in using the power our superior resources give us."
(30 January 2002)
              

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"Come together"
Wearing a traditional Maori cloak of native bird feathers, the Queen calls on New Zealanders to work together to resolve lingering differences between indigenous Maori and the Government. Elizabeth II was on her 10th tour of New Zealand as monarch. In a case of Queen-to-queen Her Majesty meets MP Georgina Beyer, the world's first trans-sexual Member of Parliament. And Sir Edmund Hillary pumps for the monarchist status quo.
(26 February 2002)
         

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Kiwi bashing is no joke
Air New Zealand's role in the financial difficulties of Ansett Australia has created heated comment in the Australian media. "In recent days it has not been difficult to come by jokes and derisive comments about New Zealanders. Some jokes, however, go beyond the pale."
(19 September 2001)
                

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Kudos for Kiwis
Messages of thanks and congratulation pored in from all over the world in response to New Zealands' decision to take in the Afghan refugees. "By accommodating our homeless and stranded children and mothers, New Zealand has placed herself in the hearts of the Afghan people," said Afghanistan's consul in Australia, Mahmoud Saikal. (Times of India discusses the situation: so does CNN).
(10 September 2001)
             

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The Pacific Petri Dish
The Australian takes an editorial swipe at the Triple Bottom Line approach advocated at New Zealand's Knowledge Wave Conference. Paul Kelly believes "New Zealand today raises loud alarm bells for an Australian."
(8 August 2001)
         

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Once more around the track
Driving-man New Zealander Scott Dixon turns twenty-one, old enough to have a drink to celebrate being the youngest-ever winner in major open-wheel racing.
(21 July 2001)
             

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Writing with a cause
Working for international NGOs appeals to journalists as "an honorable route forward", including former New Zealand reporter Brendan Parry, now working for Amnesty International, where there is "a huge amount of recognition if you do good work".
(3 July 2001)
     

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Don't bank on British security
NZ is light years ahead of Britain for banking security. "I don't want to sound like a homesick Antipodean", writes Charlotte Denny, "but ever since I arrived here 10 years ago, the true awfulness of the British banking system has always puzzled me."
(2001)
 

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Compensation won
International interest raised by Waitangi Tribunal ruling on compensation for Moriori descendents of survivors of the 1835 Chathams massacre.
(16 June 2001)
               

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Public interest
Once watched as the world's greatest free-market experiment, New Zealand is leading the way in getting democracy out from under the corporate thumb says prominent intellectual Noreena Hertz.
(8 April 2001)
              

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Groundbreaker Gov-Gen
"As one of the few female law students of her generation, [Dame Silvia] Cartwright was barred from the Law Students association, denied access to textbooks and told she was only at university to find a husband."
(1 April 2001)
      

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Jumping Jackie Flash
Australia's Sports Minister and Howard political protégé, New Zealand-born Jackie Kelly ducks the limelight after "a huge year".
(1 April 2001)

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Head for debate
Commonwealth Sec-Gen and former New Zealand 2IC Don McKinnon indicates the next Leader of the Commonwealth might be up for debate after the Queen moves on.
(7 April 2001)
           

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Peace memorial visit
Helen Clark, noted in Japan as the leader of a "declared anti-nuclear country", visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum during her official trip to Japan.
(16 April 2001) 
      

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No free trade free lunch
"There is no short cut, and we should not fool ourselves that some deal will come down from above. The only round we can launch is one that WTO members across the spectrum can identify with and support," says WTO chief, former New Zealand PM Mike Moore.
(3 April 2001)
                    

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Hat Trick
"I think it has become so normal in New Zealand that there are women in senior positions, that I was taken aback by this attention," says Dame Silvia Cartwright. The  new Gov-Gen completes the female trinity of top constitutional positions.
(22 March 2001)
           

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Ambassador goes nutty
"I love New Zealand and New Zealand has been a warm and just an extraordinary experience," says former US ambassador Carol Mosley-Braun, returning to the States to take up pecan farming.
(1 March 2001)
                 

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Edge unity
"There are no two countries in the world that are closer historically, culturally and economically than Australia and New Zealand," stated Australian PM John Howard on a friendship visit, claiming a "relationship that has substance and durability beyond the political complexion of governments in power in Canberra and Wellington."
(1 March 2001)
                

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Former Gov-Gen dies
Sir David Beattie, former Governor-General and Supreme Court Judge, died suddenly in his home, aged 76.
(6 February 2001)
                

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Evidence compelling
"The economic evidence to support broadened and deepened negotiations is compelling," states former New Zealand Prime Minister Mike Moore, now trying to kick-start free-trade talks in his role as WTO chief.
(26 January 2001)
               

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Tax miles
Is the New Zealand system of a odometer-based tax on diesel vehicles the best option for funding roads?
(11 January 2001) 
              

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Anti-nuke action
Rainbow Warrior survivor Chris Robinson and New Zealand-based Henk Haazen and his family form part of the flotilla prostesting the shipping of nuclear waste through the Tasman sea. Australian shipments also raise ire.
(28 January 2001)
             

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Earthquake aid 
The New Zealand government has pledged $500 000 in earthquake aid for Gujerat, home state of many of New Zealand's Indian immigrants.
(29 January 2001)
                 

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Alas, no Elias
It's time Britain had a male judge a la New Zealand Chief Justice Sian Elias, the conspicuous lone woman on the Privy Council.
(30 Janaury 2001)
                 

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Growth healthy
Statistics New Zealand figures show GDP growth of 4.5% in the year to September.
(20 December 2000) 
           

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Bombs away
Foreign Minister Phil Goff has ruled out allowing high-level nuclear waste to travel through New Zealand waters.
(22 December 2000)
             

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Torture campaigner
Nations that try to bury painful episodes in their history are destined to remain dysfunctional until the past is confronted, says New Zealand-born anti-apartheid activist Michael Lapsley.
(12 December 2000)
                

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Troubled Tainui 
A brief look at the finances and politics of Tainui since the $170m settlement.
(28 November 2000)
          

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Edge of menace
New Zealand-born lawyer Denise Kingsmill, new deputy chairwoman of the UK's Competition Commission, relishes her title as "the most feared woman in Britain".
(25 November 2000)

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Godzone/Godawful?
Australian-based Kiwi Bernard Lagan trashes New Zealand's health, wealth and spirit. Helen Clark exercises the right of reply.
(20 November 2000)
          

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Lamb-blasted
The WTO ruled in favour of New Zealand in the appeal against US tariffs on our lamb. The Prime Minister was pleased with the result, but said "ideally, you don't want to be taking your best friends to court".
(26 October 2000)

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Keep Our Yurts Nuke Free!
Mongolia, inspired by New Zealand, is asking to be declared a Nuclear-Free Zone. No more American warships for them!
(05 September 2000)
              

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Murderball 2
Cage fights? Question time in the New Zealand Parliament is being broadcast live on the net. 
(22 September 2000)
                

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That's not a camera flash
PM Clark ventured on a guided tour of the Sydney Harbour Bridge super-structure. Was that an admirer taking a picture? Was it an apparition of Roger Kerr? No, the sudden illumination was lightening striking the bridge, narrowly missing the Prime Ministerial group. The SMH described the PM as "quite relaxed" after the incident.
(29 September 2000)
             

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A leftist free-trader: Oxymoore-onic?
Kiwi WTO chief Mike Moore, speaking to an audience of young socialists in Sweden responds to criticism of the World Trade Organisation "It is odd that some on the left have sometimes opposed free trade. If international solidarity means anything, surely it means helping people around the world who are less fortunate ... and surely that means buying coffee from a Ugandan grower and T-shirts made in Bangladesh ..."
(27 July 2000)
             

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Satellite spies: Big Brother is watching. 
'Echelon', a mysterious spy network between the United States, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, has come under fire from the European Union, as well as defenders of civil liberty. The station at Wahopai, in the South Island, featured prominently in a report to the European Parliament.
(16 July 2000)   

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Helen Clark on the edge of World Power Summit
Kiwi PM attends Conference on Modern Governance in the 21st Century in Berlin. The Conference, chaired by Gerhard Schroeder and attended by Bill Clinton, was a meeting of the world's "third way" governments. Clark was the only female amongst the brokers of world power.
(3 June 2000) 
 

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Kiwi 'ghost of 68' asks if Secret Service Intelligence is an oxymoron
Victoria University's "frightenly radical" David Robinson gets accused of being 'a red under the bed' in a British Secret Service intelligence report, but questions whether a secret intelligence report means that the report is secret or that the intelligence is not only a secret "but a complete mystery."
(3 June 2000)
               

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'Red Ken' appoints blue-chip Kiwi as his business advisor
51-year-old New Zealander Judith Mayhew has joined London Mayor Ken Livingstone's cabinet as his business advisor.  Announcing the appointment on Thursday, Mr Livingstone said he was "delighted."  The appointment of Tory Mayhew gives new meaning to socialist Ken's "Paint London Purple" election campaign.  
(18 May 2000)
 

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New Zealand under the world's microscope
South Africa: while New Zealanders have mixed feelings about the manner in which their economy was overhauled, few in business have argued with the results and each year hundreds of public and private sector players visit New Zealand to study the country's economy following its transformation more than a decade ago.
(12 May 2000)
              

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Singapore look to New Zealand model in fair trading laws debate
Edmund Baker, Executive Director of the Consumers Association of Singapore is pushing the Kiwi and Australian Fair Trading Acts as model examples in debates over fair trade legislation in Singapore.
(3 May 2000)
               

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New Zealand spreads no-nukes message
In a letter to the editor of the Financial Times spokesperson for the New Agenda Coalition, Mexican Ambassador Antonio de Icaza, expressed concern at current developments "whereby nuclear weapons are being re-rationalised for the foreseeable future; indeed are gaining in importance in policies and postures".
(4 May 2000)
               

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Kiwi Kosovo peacekeeper threatens UN withdrawal as violence escalates
Dennis McNamara, the UN High Comissioner for Refugees top official in Kosovo, threatened to suspend UN activities in the Kosovo city of Mitovica, if attacks on its staff and vehicles did not cease.
(4 May 2000)   
       

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Big spin-off in positive trade ties, says Kiwi PM
A successful economic tie-up between Singapore and New Zealand could kick start multi-lateral talks on trade-liberalisation, says New Zealand PM Helen Clark
(29 April 2000)
               

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Aotearoa casts big shadow over Australia
Australia's population is five times bigger, its economy six times bigger and its defence capability similarly robust. Yet in recent years New Zealand has been the far more influential of the two neighbours in world affairs.
(30 April 2000)
              

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New Zealand leads the have-nots against the haves at UN battle
Impatient at the slow progress in arms control, governments from Brazil to New Zealand  plan to tell the United States and other nuclear powers on  Monday they have to do more to make the world safer. 
(23 April 2000) 
     

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Commonwealth to help develop vulnerable states
So stated Don McKinnon on his first visit to Bangladesh since being elected Secretary-General of the 54-country assembly last November.
(21 April 2000)
              

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"Put another Kiwi on the barbie Mate" New Zealand scoffs at statehood idea
Prime Minister Helen Clark has dismissed a suggestion that NZ should become a part of Australia. Former Australian Liberal Party Leader John Hewson, said it was time to consider incorporating New Zealand into a new independent republic of Australia.
(15 April 2000)
                    

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New Zealand at forefront of ‘World Citizenship’ project
The World Citizenship Curriculum is to develop and implement in Bangladesh a pilot plan, led by Dr. Muhammad Nur Nabi, to educate people to become true citizens of the world and also to promote social justice. The curriculum project would belong to the MNN Trust as a part of its World Citizenship Project, whose head office is in Christchurch, New Zealand.
(11 April 2000)
                

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Diplomatic Ingratiation: US Ambassador consigned to paradise
Mosely-Braun, who came from her New Zealand post just to attend the Feminist Expo 2000... called New Zealand and Samoa, where she is now the U.S. Embassy official, "about as close to paradise as I have ever seen".
(5 April 2000)
              

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Democracy challenge for Commonwealth Chief
New Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Don McKinnon, takes up his post formally on Monday, his main task being to make the 54-nation organisation "more relevant and useful" to its 1.6 billion citizens.
(3 April 2000)
                

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Solid achieving New Zealand economy - an oxymoron?
"In broader terms, the best-performing economies of the 20th century have been the "Western Offshoots" of Western Europe - the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand".
(April 2000)  
         

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Three wishes for the world
On the eve of International Women's Day Thinkers from the four corners of the globe, including a New Zealand women's rights and healthcare advocate, offer their visions for enriching the economic, educational, social and emotional lives of their contemporaries.
(7 March 2000)
                  

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New Zealand and Sweden take stance on Zimbabwe Crisis
Harare - Sweden and New Zealand have openly called for President Mugabe's resignation as international anxiety continues to rise following the collapse in law and order, indiscriminate farm killings and strained race relations.
(25 April 2000)

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Celebrities endorse NZ-led anti-nuke Campaign
"Call To Action" is the dramatic headline in an advertisement put forth in the mainstream broadsheets by an eclectic group of spiritual leaders, Nobel laureates, Hollywood superstars, sports legends, authors and scholars coincide with the opening of the sixth Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference in New York.
(25 April 2000)
              

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McKinnon asserts himself in new role
The new Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon, has asked Pakistan's military government to release deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from prison and set a definite timeframe for national elections.
(22 April 2000)
                 

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Where there's Smoke ...
Green MP Nando Tanzcos and political cartoonist Tom Scott debate the currently topical subject of marijuana decriminalisation on Crossing Continents (World Service).
(9 March 2000)
             

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WTO chief reminds rich of moral duty to help poor
Mike Moore said on Tuesday that opening up the markets of wealthy nations to exports from the poorest countries was a crucial pillar of free trade.
(5 February 2000)
              

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ANZACS cautious in South Pacific
New Zealand and Australia in recent years have turned their attention away from the South Pacific, and increasingly cast it towards Asia. Two coups in as many weeks, in Fiji and the Solomon Islands, have re-focused attention, but colonial lessons have meant their governments are more than a little tentative in interfering.
(22 June 2000) 
               

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Peaceful isles 
New Zealand comes in at number four on the second annual Global Peace Index released by Britain's Economist Intelligence Unit. A survey on the harmoniousness of the world's nations, the Index evaluates 140 nations with respect to 24 criteria, including numbers of deaths from organized conflict, levels of violent crime and proportions of GDP used for military expenditures. The report said New Zealand lacked internal conflict and had generally good relations with neighbouring countries. "It is clear that small, stable and democratic countries are the most peaceful," the report said, noting that island nations also "generally fare well". New Zealand ranked behind number one Iceland, Denmark and Norway. 
(21 May 2008)

Trade relationship anniversary
In 1983, New Zealand and Australia signed the Closer Economic Relations trade pact, and this year, on the 25th anniversary of the agreement, chief economist of the Australian Trade Commission Tim Harcourt reflects on a first of its kind. Considered a model for dismantling trade barriers and harmonising regulations between two economies, New Zealand and Australia are now more economically dependent than ever before and in some ways operate as a single trans-Tasman market. Trade commissioner in Sydney for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Tim Green, says: "CER has effectively created a single regional domestic market five times the size of the NZ market by itself."
(25 April 2008)

Beijing pact signed 
New Zealand is the world's first developed country to sign a free-trade deal with China. "It's a bit like getting the first date with the best-looking girl on the block," says Stuart Ferguson, chairman of the New Zealand-China Trade Association: in this case, ahead of suitors Australia, Norway and India. Dairy and timber exporters are expected to profit most, but manufacturers like white-goods maker Fisher & Paykel and fashion house Icebreaker also stand to gain from easier access to China's low-cost factories as well as to its fast-growing middle class. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao described the occasion as "a day of historical significance". 
(3 April 2008)

On financial restraint 
New Zealander Robert Wade, Professor of Political Economy and Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science and author of Governing the Market, debates global finance with the UK's leading economic commentator Anatole Kaletsky in Prospect's December 2007 issue. Wade argues global finance is out of control, citing an increase in serious financial crises in wealthy countries over the past two decades. He discusses the "outer wheels" driving this instability which include: the US dollar standard and the response of central banks in countries running trade surpluses like China. Wade says these outer wheels need to be reconfigured. "Global economic governance has to find a better way to rein in trade imbalances," he says. Wade has also worked at the IDS Sussex, the World Bank, Brown University, and the Institute for Advanced Studies at Princeton and Berlin. 
(12 March 2008)

Mugabe expert comes full circle
Stephen Chan, longtime analyst and authority on Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe, returned to NZ recently to deliver the 2007 Chapman Lectures at Auckland University, his alma mater. Born in New Zealand to refugee parents, Chan became a well known political activist and literary figure in NZ. He was president of the Auckland University Students Association in 1973 and editor of Craccum in 1971, before leaving the country in 1976. He has since held a variety of academic and advisory posts in Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and is currently a Professor of International Relations and foundation Dean of Law and Social Sciences at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. His Auckland University lectures focused on Mugabe, the subject of his 2003 book Robert Mugabe: A Life of Power and Violence, "an informed, insightful biography of Zimbabwe's first--and only--president...We follow the triumphant nationalist leader, reconciling all in the new multi-racial Zimbabwe, degenerate into a petty tyrant consumed by hubris and self righteousness facing an endgame of potentially horrifying dimensions." (University of Michigan Press) 
(27 October 2007)

NZ sets pace on climate change 
A recent Guardian op-ed hailed NZ as "the new climate change pioneer", after the unveiling of an ambitious new environmental plan by the NZ government. The plan's stated targets include generating 90% of the country's electricity from renewable sources by 2025, and for the electricity, stationary energy (coal and gas) and transport sector to be carbon neutral by 2040. In addition, an emissions trading scheme will be launched in January next year. "New Zealand's plans are worthy of a green hurrah, if for no other reason than they show how an entire country (albeit a small one) can be turned around once leaders recognise that pollution does indeed cost," writes columnist Tim Watkins. He notes, however, that while NZ is leaving other developed nations "in the shade", its efforts should not be seen as an extreme example of environmental policy, but as marking the beginning of a global change. 
(25 September 2007)

End of ancestral visa 
A new points-based immigration system could end the door-opening power of the ancestral visa. Many New Zealanders and other Commonwealth citizens have relied on having British grandparents to allow them to settle in the EU. Under the old system, Commonwealth citizens who have proof of a grandparent's birth in Britain can gain entry to the country if they are prepared to work without relying on the State and after four years of doing so they can apply for permanent residency. The new hardline policy comes as a result of the May 2005 election campaigning of both Tony Blair's Labour Party and the Conservatives for a tougher approach to immigration and asylum.
(27 October 2005)

Continental drift
Former PM Mike Moore spoke up about NZ’s increasing politico-cultural distance from Australia in the Melbourne Age. “After 100 years of convergence, there is the beginning of divergence. Australia is becoming more like the US and NZ more like Canada and a bit Nordic … The elephant in the living room that the polite diplomatic community will not admit to is the defence and security issue.”
(13 October 2005)
   

Nuclear discussion just that 
NZ's iconic 21-year-old nuclear ban has returned to the news, both as a sideline issue in the recent parliamentary elections, and through a National Power Union-commissioned white paper on the pros and cons of nuclear power. "There are limits … with NZ's mostly hydroelectric power generation, which depends a lot on the weather and is having a hard time keeping up with growing demand," says an NZNPU spokesperson. "All options are on the table: better conservation, more efficient generation, other power sources. And nuclear power is something else people are discussing." A repeal of the 1984 ban is considered highly unlikely by most media and political commentators. "This is really a defining issue for New Zealanders," says an unidentified MP to ISN. "We are the country that did not bow to US pressure. We are the country that has a clean environment in part because we are nuclear free." 
(22 November 2005)

Government formed 
Just over a month after election night, Helen Clark has formed a government and been sworn in as Prime Minister, making her the first Labour Party leader to form a government in three successive terms. Following negotiations with the smaller parties Labour has entered into a formal coalition with the Progressives and United Future and New Zealand First have signed confidence and supply agreements. The Greens have committed to support the government during confidence and supply votes but the party will not have a role inside the executive. Ministerial portfolios have undergone a major reallocation following the formation of the new government in a bid to renew and refresh itself for the third term. Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen keeps finance and gains the tertiary education portfolio. Jim Anderton is allocated agriculture, biosecurity and fisheries and Phil Goff becomes Minister of Defence. Peter Dunne was given Minister of Revenue and Associate Health Minister outside of the cabinet and Winston Peters becomes the new Minister of Foreign Affairs outside cabinet, as well as the Minister of Racing and Associate Minister for Senior Citizens. 
(17 October 2005)

Forecast fine with a top of 9.6
The Ministry of Tourism predicts that foreign tourist spending in NZ will increase by as much as 52% in the next 7 years. Spending is forecast to rise to NZ$9.6 billion by 2011 from NZ$6.3 billion in 2004, while foreign tourist arrivals are predicted to rise 38 percent to 3.2 million people by 2011, according to a recent report published by the Ministry. Tourism is currently the NZ economy’s biggest foreign exchange earner.
(19 September 2005)
  

Mrs Peace leaves her mark
Political activist, peace campaigner and renowned author, Sonja Davies, has died aged 81, leaving an inspiring legacy in her wake. According to her Guardian obituary, Davies – known to many as ‘Mrs Peace’ - ranks alongside Sir Edmund Hillary and Janet Frame as one of NZ’s national treasures. Among other things, Davies was a holder of the Order of NZ, an executive member of the World Peace Council, chaired the NZ committee for the UN international year of peace in 1986, and was an active trade unionist and member of parliament. The Sonja Davies Peace Award, which promotes women's initiatives and the cause of peace in Aotearoa, was established in 2004 in honour of Davies’ 80th birthday. Her memoir Bread and Roses, which was made into an acclaimed film by Gaylene Preston, is one of the cornerstone stories of NZ’s national identity.
(18 June 2005)
   

Future partnership likely
Helen Clark has fast-tracked a bilateral free trade agreement with Malaysia, which could come into effect as soon as this time next year. Malaysia’s NST: “For the trade experts, [NZ] is neither too big (which would make negotiations difficult) nor too small (which would make them redundant). More importantly for such negotiations, the two countries share a ‘complementarity’ - a polite way of saying that they don't trade in potentially deal-breaking competing products.”
(3 April 2005)
   

Voters want out
The re-election of George W Bush has sparked an increase in enquiries about emigration to NZ from US voters seeking more liberal pastures. According to the Telegraph, “the size of [Bush’s] victory has led hardcore Democrats, as well as homosexuals, opponents of the Iraq war and supporters of abortion rights to fear that their values and way of life may be at risk.” The NZ Immigration Service website recorded 10,300 hits from the US the day after Bush was re-elected, more than four times its usual average. Another 300 inquiries were received daily by phone and e-mail, up from roughly eight a day before the election.
(9 November 2004)
    

Exchange of potential
In mid-October Helen Clark made the first visit to India by a NZ Prime Minister in nearly 20 years. During her meetings with the President, Prime Minister, Congress Party leader, and economic heads, Clark emphasised the potential for mutually beneficial cultural and information exchange between the two countries. The importance of the film industry to both nations was a key point of Clark’s speech in Mumbai.
(20 October 2004)
    

Travellers flock to the Edge
NZ’s booming tourism industry shows no signs of slowing down, with a 20% increase in overseas visitors arriving in July than for the same period last year. According to the Tourism Research Council, tourism will grow by an average of 5.8% a year to reach 3.1 million international visitor arrivals in 2010, up from 2.3 million at 31 July 2004. The majority of these arrivals are, and are likely to continue to be, Australians. Melbourne’s Herald Sun: “The reality is Australians are flocking to NZ in record numbers, lured by cheap airfares and greater airline capacity across the Tasman. And somewhere along the way, NZ has begun to shed its image as Australia's backward neighbour.”
(20 August 2004)
    

Flexible, shock-proof, and room for growth
The NZ economy received a big tick in the annual IMF report. According to the Washington-based lender, a combination of sensible policies and reforms over the last 20 years had "