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Comment & Analysis
Comment & Analysis headlines with summaries.
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Year in Politics: The year of three prime ministers and a swing to the right
31 Dec 2023Analysis - Three prime ministers and two radically different governments - 2023 saw changes that sent New Zealand into a new era of right-wing conservatism driven by the first three-party coalition.
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Cricket's own climate crisis
1 Jan 2024Analysis: As an outdoor summer game in which the natural environment plays a unique role, cricket is perhaps the pitch sport most at risk from a changing climate.
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The oddest news RNZ covered in 2023
30 Dec 2023It was a year in which Aotearoa had three prime ministers, two of them named 'Chris', so the bar was set very high.
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Rise of 'mob censorship' this year as journalists faced a barrage of abuse
28 Dec 2023Opinion - New research shows being a woman or part of a minority as a journalist can increase the likelihood of being targeted with online abuse.
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Older workers still struggle with work-life balance
28 Dec 2023Analysis - The idea that we can comfortably manage all the different facets of life is appealing. But in reality, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
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ACT's attempt at regulatory reform in NZ has failed 3 times already – what's different now?
24 Dec 2023ACT is preparing to resurrect its "regulatory responsibility" legislation for the fourth time, despite the idea being consistently rejected since 2007, Jane Kelsey writes.
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‘Star Wars meteorite’ sheds light on the early Solar System
How a meteorite shower is changing how we view the solar system - and became a key inspiration for 'Star Wars'
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NZ’s new government is getting tough on gangs – but all the necessary laws already exist
19 Dec 2023Analysis - The new coalition government has made its campaign promise to crack down on gangs a priority in its 100-day action plan. But whether the new "get tough" policy genuinely plugs gaps in…
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Pine or native forest? There's a third way
19 Dec 2023Analysis - We need to cut emissions drastically. But we also need to remove as much carbon from the atmosphere as possible over the next 20 years.
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Week in Politics: A rush to repeal and the Finance Minister's surprise
17 Dec 2023Analysis - The government sets a cracking pace in dismantling Labour's legislation, Winston Peters has a fine time as Acting PM and Nicola Willis springs the surprise of the week.
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How populists encourage blind mistrust – and how to push back
17 Dec 2023Opinion - Populist leaders are winning support around the world, with their anti-elite messages, writes John Shayegh.
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Would private investors fund social services? Here's what the evidence says
6 Dec 2023Analysis - The local and international track record of social investment funds and social impact bonds is far from convincing. A better-resourced public sector would be a simpler solution, Tom Baker w…
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Landlords and tax changes: End of a flawed law
Analysis - The new coalition government has announced a suite of tax reforms, with early criticisms of potential windfalls to landlords, but the previous policy could also be extremely punitive.
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Does living with Covid also mean paying to protect ourselves?
To fund or not to fund vaccinations, tests and treatments: These are difficult questions as we learn to live with the virus, Paula Lorgelly writes.
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What the new COP28 deal means for climate change
14 Dec 2023Analysis - Is the climate agreement enough to keep global temperatures in check?
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Week in Politics: New government survives first Question Time
8 Dec 2023Analysis: The government was under attack on multiple fronts during a week of relentless criticism and then faced its first Question Time in Parliament, Peter Wilson writes.
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COP28: With fund in place, protecting climate refugees more urgent than ever
5 Dec 2023Opinion - It has taken decades, but the increasingly urgent issue of "climate mobility" is now central to international climate negotiations, Dalila Gharbaoui writes.
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As news fades from social media platforms - where does that leave journalism?
2 Dec 2023Opinion - News organisations that work through social media will have limited control as terms of service are changed at will, leaving news companies to deal with the consequences, Merja Myllylahti wr…
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Is it right to call state-funded journalism 'bribery' - or is there a bigger threat to democracy?
Opinion - Winston Peters had only just been sworn in as deputy prime minister when his long-standing antipathy to the news media emerged in the form of a serious accusation, Peter Thompson writes.
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Legacy of colonisation driving decline in traditional Christian beliefs among Māori
29 Nov 2023Analysis - Religious beliefs among Māori have shifted significantly over the past two decades.
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Read all about it: The 2023 Booker Prize Shortlist
Devoted reader Jeremy Rees read all the books in the 2023 Booker Prize shortlist (so you don't have to). Here's what he and the judges have to say about the six novels on this year's shortlist.
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The government's first press conference: Wilder than an episode of Love Island
Analysis - The three ring-masters of the coalition announcement had spectacularly different ideas about the point of the show.
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The stress points within a 'coalition of many colours'
25 Nov 2023Analysis - After some intermittently passive-aggressive political posturing and much striding through airports, the deals were done and signed off in Wellington on Friday, Richard Shaw writes.
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Power Play: Three-way coalition could make for treble trouble
20 Nov 2023Power Play - The unique situation means ACT and New Zealand First are in direct competition for prized Cabinet seats, and roles like deputy prime minister, RNZ's political editor Jane Patterson writes…
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