Latest from WC - Opinion

Is tobacco fight worth it?

So $1.7m spent in Whanganui to stub out smoking results in more smokers. Time to rethink?

Your views: Readers' letters

Readers wax lyrical about dialysis, offshore mining, the smokefree funds fiasco and more.

NZ politics no joke, sadly

We'll miss John Key . . . but maybe not for the right reasons, writes columnist Jay Kuten.

Alien life: What are the odds?

As the number of known extra-solar planets grows, the question of alien life looms larger

Readers' letters

Flooding myths Your correspondent M. Norris, sitting comfortably above any flooding up on St John's Hill, perpetuates many of the

Bird dog goes rural

What do you do if you're a dog with lots of excess energy? Columnist Fred Frederikse tells the story of Pipi - hyperactive Fox Terrier cross and born bird dog.

Committee kicks-off with robust debate

In Whanganui the first meeting of a new sub-committee was a corker.

Your views: Readers' letters

Trump's sham shamrock The US President was at his best for St Patrick's Day. He even had a version of his "Make America Great" cap

Readers' letters

Watery walkway Several years ago, when I lived in the Wanganui East suburb, I was a frequent user of the railway bridge walkway from

Tag team terror at polls

Bullfighting and fox hunting pale into insignificance next to the blood-letting cut-and-thrust of local body elections. They're sanguinary gladiatorial bouts, risky to the health of combatants and onlookers alike. Paul Brooks presents the case for a ban.

Editorial: Murray Ball kept it real

We loved Murray Ball's Footrot Flats. The humour was uniquely Kiwi but internationally understood.

Short generation in Scotland

Three years ago Scots voted to stay part of Britain in a "once-in-a-generation" referendum on independence. Now they're going to have another vote, even though the future looks distinctly unpromising for an independent Scotland, writes Gwynne Dyer.

What happened to us?

Once we enjoyed a very high quality of life by world standards. Now that has gone and, sadly, we're leading the race to the bottom in some aspects of our lives. So what happened to New Zealand? Columnist Frank Greenall examines the question.

Games a celebration of rural heritage

The aim of the rural games is to give back something of our legacy to the next generation.

Readers' letters

Sensible step While I totally agree with Steve Baron's sentiments (Letters, March 9) about people not wanting to leave their homes

Celebrating rural heritage

The aim of the 2017 Hilux Rural Games (held in Manawatu last weekend) is to give back something of our legacy to the next generation, writes Rangitikei MP Ian McKelvie. A lot of what makes us who we are is based on our rural roots and values, he says.