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Latest FromJohn Roughan

The return to school was a sign of a return to normality in level 2. Photo / Dean Purcell

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Time to spread the virus of optimism

23 May, 2020 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Life is back. Glorious, noisy, crowded, chaotic life.

Grant Robertson wants a rebuild that will feature, he hopes, less child poverty, fewer carbon emissions, higher incomes and swimmable rivers. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Drivers of the economy, start your engines

16 May, 2020 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Tourism will not be easy to revive but there are new cylinders for investment.

Bus passengers were a rare sight during lockdown. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan - We need a good Budget

9 May, 2020 11:09am
5 minutes to read

Empty buses were a disappointing sight but there's hope in the Budget, writes John Roughan

Contact tracing is enough to give every company and working person incentive to do their utmost to ensure they do not get a call. Photo / AP

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Self-interest key to keeping grip on Covid

2 May, 2020 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Self-interest would be an effective incentive to follow public health guidelines.

We are facing an economic, and therefore social, crisis on a scale unknown since the Great Depression. Photo / James Allan

NEW ZEALAND

Why end lockdown tonight? What do we know today we didn't last Monday?

27 Apr, 2020 8:08am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: We are facing an economic and social crisis on a scale akin to Great Depression.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern looks on during a press conference at Parliament. Photo / Getty Images

BUSINESS

John Roughan: Small businesses choked by kindness

18 Apr, 2020 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: They are considered 'non-essential', and first to go in an economic contraction.

Police set up a checkpoint on State Highway 1 in Warkworth to catch people breaching the Covid-19 lockdown during Easter Weekend. Photo / Dean Purcell

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Should we be careful what we wish for?

11 Apr, 2020 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: John Roughan looks past lockdown and at how we will work our way back into life.

Social distancing is the only way for friends and family to communicate in person. Photo / Michael Craig

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Adjusting to life in a state of grief

4 Apr, 2020 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: John Roughan on how future generations will fare in a world post-shutdown.

Southern Motorway deserted as the Level 4 Lockdown is enforced because of Covid-19. Photo / Brett Phibbs

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Containment gives us hope in greatest challenge

28 Mar, 2020 5:00am
3 minutes to read

COMMENT: John Roughan on the implications of the move to level 4.

John Roughan plans to get his flu shot earlier this year, however, testing for the coronavirus is likely to be part of his visit. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Jacinda Ardern's first real crisis

21 Mar, 2020 6:13am
5 minutes to read

John Roughan mulls over the financial implications of the coronavirus

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Finance Minister Grant Robertson say the priority for the Government is public health. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Why Covid-19 is Ardern's first real crisis

14 Mar, 2020 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: A pandemic is an economic shock on the scale of a global financial crisis.

Tributes to the victims of the Christchurch Mosque shootings on March 15, 2019. Photo / Amber Allott

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Legal gun owners are shooting us in the foot

7 Mar, 2020 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: We have a gun problem in this country.

Pete Buttigieg can discuss philosophy but can also express himself in terms that are clear, concise and compelling. Photo / AP

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Young, bright, pleasant, moderate and modern: Is Buttigieg the antidote to Trump?

29 Feb, 2020 5:00am
5 minutes to read

One chance to beat 'repugnant presidency' and put a new generation in power

Finance Minister Grant Robertson says his careful handing has the economy in a good position. Photo/Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Why coronavirus is making Grant Robertson queasy

22 Feb, 2020 5:00am
4 minutes to read

Treasury is scrambling to assess the possible impact of Covid-19

TVNZ boss Kevin Kenrick inside the the state broadcaster's headquarters. Photo / file

PREMIUM

John Roughan: RNZ-TVNZ merger in search of an explanation

15 Feb, 2020 5:00am
5 minutes to read

The solution to the broadcasting merger is to fund a public channel, argues John Roughan.

Kris Faafoi sounds as worried as any media manager facing a declining audience. Photo / Andrew Warner

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Merger in search of an explanation

15 Feb, 2020 5:00am
5 minutes to read

Kris Faafoi is looking into the merits of merging RNZ with TVNZ, leaving many mystified.

Construction of a shared path for walkers and cyclists below the traffic on the Harbour Bridge is programmed to start next year.

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Sky's the limit with no profit check

8 Feb, 2020 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: $360 million Skypath is going ahead but failed to pass an earlier economic test.

Former Labour prime minister Mike Moore died today aged 71. Photo / NZ Herald

NEW ZEALAND

Mike Moore 1949-2020: From youngest MP to NZ's shortest-term prime minister

2 Feb, 2020 7:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Moore was David Lange's most determined acolyte, his 'bagman'.

Rafael Nadal celebrates after defeating Nick Kyrgios in their fourth round singles match at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Photo / AP

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Champions have served tennis well

1 Feb, 2020 5:00am
5 minutes to read

Tennis needs a new champion but it's important they are in the mould of the greats.

Queen Elizabeth II has not indulged Harry and Meghan's wish to be royal only when it suits them, nor has she cut them off. Photo / Getty Images

LIFESTYLE

John Roughan: Kind but firm royal granny

25 Jan, 2020 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Queen has made an admirable and exemplary decision regarding Harry and Meghan.

SPORT

John Roughan: Finding victory in NZ's cricket defeat

18 Jan, 2020 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: When you know you're outclassed, moments of success are sweeter.

Gerry Hill was always much more interested in problems outside himself and in the welfare of others.

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Tireless crusader Gerry Hill had many moments in the sun

11 Jan, 2020 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Problems outside himself and the welfare of others were his life.

How would drug testing at festivals work? Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Drug tests at festivals: Common sense is the teacher of fools

4 Jan, 2020 5:00am
5 minutes to read

The message about certain drugs is already in legislation; leave it at that

John Roughan, editorial writer and columnist. Photo / Michael Craig

NEW ZEALAND

Top five columns of 2019: John Roughan

1 Jan, 2020 5:00am
2 minutes to read

The top five columns from John Roughan this year.

White Island aerial view after the volcanic eruption. Photo / George Novak

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Didn't we set up emergency services to take risks?

28 Dec, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: From Pike River to White Island, government officials have been averse to risk.

KiwiRail's Northern Explorer. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Robbing road users to pay rail an economic crime

21 Dec, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Road vehicles pay all the infrastructure costs, trains plainly cannot do that.

New homes would be cheaper if they were built on leasehold land. Photo / Tom Dillane

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Own a home, lease the land - now there's a plan

14 Dec, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Here's a suggestion for spending Government's surplus billions.

The crowded waterfront that is the Port of Auckland. Photo / Michael Craig

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Port of Auckland going nowhere fast

7 Dec, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: The port of Auckland won't be going anywhere, probably not for 30 years.

Vaping products properly made are not lethal. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Where there's smoke there may be disinformation

30 Nov, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: Why regulate the marketing and display of vaping products?

Take the Tiwai Point smelter - please! Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Why infrastructure can be a dangerous word

23 Nov, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: For better or worse, this is not the way to do infrastructure.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins has decided to reduce schools' freedom on two fronts, zoning and property decisions. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Totalitarian takeover of schools averted

16 Nov, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: State education should work with people's preferences rather than against them.

Christopher Luxon with party supporters after winning the Botany National Party candidate selection on November 4. Photo / Jason Oxenham

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Why Chris Luxon might have to wait to be leader

9 Nov, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Former Air NZ boss' timing is perfect for a political career.

Steve Hansen consoles Ardie Savea after the Rugby World Cup 2019 Semi-Final match with England.

SPORT

John Roughan: Rugby's mental game hardest to win

2 Nov, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: This has been a magnificent World Cup for rugby.

An artist's impression of Queen St with a light rail/tram system. Illustration / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Rail funding not a matter to be taken lightly

26 Oct, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: Proposals to have public transport funded by superannuation need careful thought.

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Historical apologies make me uncomfortable - we should be proud of Cook

12 Oct, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: It was inevitable a European ship would come to NZ. We can be proud it was Cook's

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Why I will be casting a vote next week

5 Oct, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: A North Shore meeting reinvigorates my interest in the local body elections

Road building directed by the NZ Transport Agency help keep pace with growth. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Transport changes could drive us round the bend

28 Sep, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: Changes to the Transport Agency board could leave us in a mess.

Australia's Michael Hooper was quick to praise the All Blacks after beating them in Perth recently. Photo / NZME

SPORT

John Roughan: Give credit where it's due - and show respect

21 Sep, 2019 5:00am
3 minutes to read

COMMENT: Sporting heroes need to lead by example and show appreciation of opposition too.

SPORT

Final chapter in the strangest All Black career

14 Sep, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: Will Sonny Bill Williams prove worthy of NZ Rugby's investment and patience?

Racist is the one word that stings Donald Trump. Photo / AP

PREMIUM

John Roughan: Why Trump's not a racist

7 Sep, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: Democrats may lose votes if they persist in accusing the President of racism.

The Auckland Council's total ownership of its port is not doing much good for Auckland or New Zealand. Photo / Brett Phibbs

BUSINESS

John Roughan: The only Tamihere policy that makes perfect sense

31 Aug, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: National interest would be better served by rationalisation of country's ports.

Author Nicky Hager has written a number of authority-needling books and claimed journalistic privilege to protect his sources. Photo / file

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: We are on a slippery slope to an authorised press - not a free press

26 Aug, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: We are on slippery slope towards an authorised press, which is not a free one.

The dollar dropped suddenly and trading banks dropped their lending rates as soon as Governor Adrian Orr announced the banks second cut of the year. Photo / Mark Mitchell

BUSINESS

Was the rate cut a colossal mistake?

12 Aug, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: The committee running the Reserve Bank may just have made a colossal mistake.

The protest at Ihumātao is being compared with Bastion Pt. Photo / Peter Meecham

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: A visit to Ihumātao - and a change of heart

5 Aug, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: The housing project at Stonefields should not proceed.

How do we get a bright future in this place? Photo / Doug Sherring

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: How we can make this city shine

29 Jul, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: The Super City is nearly 10 years old. It's time to review it's usefulness.

Super City? Gloomy outlook more like, writes John Roughan. Photo / Dean Purcell

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Auckland - a city well short of super

22 Jul, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: Is it any wonder it is impossible to get real civic progress with the Super City?

Some campaigners are fighting a battle already won. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Subject that could put Govt at risk

15 Jul, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: PM must be regretting endorsing the call to remove abortion from the Crimes Act.

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: We've had the bag pulled over our heads

8 Jul, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: The plastic bag ban might be the present Government's most memorable achievement.

MPs Maggie Barry and David Seymour debate the End of Life Choice Bill. Photo montage / Bevan Conley

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Let's not go down this troubled path

1 Jul, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: When a right to die could reduce others' right to live.

David Hisco deserves credit for his housing market stand. Photo / File

BUSINESS

John Roughan: David Hisco's big contribution to NZ

24 Jun, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: If anyone did their bit to stop our runaway house prices, it was David Hisco.

The test of the economic value of cycleways is whether users are prepared to pay for them. Photo / Michael Craig

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Someone needs to watch this agency's dashboard

17 Jun, 2019 5:18am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: It wouldn't be hard to make the Transport Agency a whole lot more efficient.

People take part in a Big Sleepout to raise awareness of homelessness.File photo / Ben Fraser

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Spare a thought for our rough sleepers

10 Jun, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: Where do the homeless go when the chill arrives and rain turns to sleet.

All happy on Budget day. But what if the economy heads south? Photo / Mark Mitchell.

BUSINESS

Roughan: Punt on wellbeing ignores growth at its peril

3 Jun, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: The Government is taking a punt by putting wellbeing ahead of the familiar GDP.

Speaker Trevor Mallard and reviewer Debbie Francis releasing the external independent review of bullying and harassment at Parliament on Tuesday last week. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

Secrets of the Beehive: Intoxicating but not for the faint of heart

27 May, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Parliament likely won't adopt all recommendations, but protections are necessary.

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Labour needs to learn lessons about education

20 May, 2019 10:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: There must be a way to boost training on the job rather than via institutions.

The Monetary Policy Committee is headed by Governor Adrian Orr. Photo / Mark Mitchell

BUSINESS

John Roughan: Reserve Bank plays it wrong under new set-up

13 May, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: Committees so often make inconsistent, confusing and downright wrong decisions.

Today's drug reformers sometimes go so far as to suggest the supply of marijuana could be a state monopoly. Photo / Getty

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: Why the 'health approach' to marijuana won't work

5 May, 2019 7:07pm
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: The "model law" for marijuana goes much further than a proposal for alcohol.

John Roughan at the launch of his biography, John Key Portrait of a Prime Minister, in 2014. Photo / Richard Robinson.

BUSINESS

From Muldoon to Key: Journalist John Roughan reflects on 45 years in the middle of it all

4 May, 2019 8:11am
15 minutes to read

John Roughan had 38 years at the Herald before retiring this month. Here, he looks back...

For years, huge crowds have been packing out the dawn service on the Gallipoli peninsula. Photo / Alan Gibson

NEW ZEALAND

John Roughan: A great lesson in humanity at Gallipoli

29 Apr, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: This should have occurred to me many years ago and I'm surprised it didn't.

Jacinda Ardern's backdown on a policy she believes in will not help Labour at the election. Photo / Getty Images

NEW ZEALAND

Political capital needs to be spent

22 Apr, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: Ardern's weakness ruins a rare opportunity.

SPORT

John Roughan: Level playing field may limit our stars

15 Apr, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Education should not put the interests of schools above those of individuals.

After 30 years it's been a privilege to serve a great paper and its discerning readers. Photo / Jason Oxenham

NEW ZEALAND

Editorial: Interests of NZ always front of mind

13 Apr, 2019 5:00am
3 minutes to read

EDITORIAL: It has been a privilege to express the views of the New Zealand Herald.