As we say goodbye to 2022 and welcome in 2023, it’s a good time to catch up on the very best of the Herald columnists we enjoyed reading over the last 12 months. From politics to sport, from business to entertainment and lifestyle, these are the voices and views our
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Reckless climate tax will wreck industry
Many farmers will switch to planting trees if their council allows it, writes Heather du Plessis-Allan. Photo / NZH file
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This is the prediction from the Government’s own models.
It will cause a 24 per cent drop in sheep and beef revenue. That works out at $2.9 billion a year. That’s more than we spend on our entire education system annually.
It will cut jobs, close businesses and kill towns.
PM’s mistake as Sharma debacle drags on - August 21
Labour should’ve just given Dr Gaurav Sharma what he wanted. An investigation.
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He’s been asking for it in behind-closed-doors employment-related meetings. This week, he’s been asking for it in public.
The Prime Minister should’ve ordered an inquiry on Monday at her weekly post-Cabinet press conference.
Had she done it, everything would probably have stopped that night.
But here we are in day 11 of the drama.
How long can the stand-off go on? - February 20
For its own sake, the Government needs to find a way to end this parliamentary protest quickly.
Sympathy for the protestors is already far higher than many thought. According to a Horizon poll, one in three Kiwis support the protest.
It’s possible that support could yet grow.
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Already the narrative on this protest has shifted fast. What last week looked like a rabble of far-right troublemakers, this week looks like a hippie campground of ordinary Kiwis forced out of their jobs by government rules.
This protest risks getting very uncomfortable for Labour. They need to fix it.
See Heather du Plessis-Allan’s full article here
Davis’ attack bursts open national groupthink on race politics - October 9
As hurtful as Kelvin Davis’ attack on Act MP Karen Chhour was to her, it was a gift to her party. It busted open the national groupthink on race politics.
In Parliament last Thursday, Davis accused Chhour of looking at the world through “a vanilla lens”. When told it had upset her, he doubled down, saying she “whakapapas to Māori, but she was raised in a Pākehā world”.
The condemnation was swift and unexpected. Media mostly prefer to stay away from race issues these days. But they gave this attention and it blew up. Davis was forced to apologise.
Becoming a new mum and my hopes for the baby’s country - February 27
By now I should be a mum. That is, if everything went to plan.
I’m booked for an induced labour on Friday, two days ago. And I’m writing this before going to the hospital, because bugger doing it afterwards. Obviously.
I say obviously like I know what’s about to hit me but really I have no idea. I can’t imagine how little sleep I might get, or how little time I’ll have after rounds of feeding and burping and changing, or how much I’m going to worry about him. Every day. For the rest of my life.
Everyone tells me their stories but I guess it’s a bit like telling someone what it’s like to bungy jump: you have to do it yourself to really understand.
They say having a baby changes what you value and it’s true. I want more for our country now. Nine months ago, a politician could’ve convinced me with a tax break. But now, I want to know that politician has a plan to keep New Zealand as wonderful as it was for us to grow up in. I want to know that our schools are world-class, that our jobs pay well and that our cities are good places to live. I want this boy to want to live here, in the same country as his mum and dad, and never leave for a better lifestyle in Sydney and London and New York. I want things that benefit all Kiwis, because what is good for all Kiwis is good for him.
