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NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: The big thing we've learned about Todd Muller

29 May, 2020 5:00am
6 minutes to read

He presents as Mr Affable, but there's more to National's new leader than meets the eye.

Simon Bridges, trying his best. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: What Simon Bridges really got wrong

22 May, 2020 5:00am
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: Simon Bridges tried so hard, but the more he tried the worse it got.

The good and bad of life in the country: horses are on the good side; the drought is on the bad. Photo / Simon Wilson

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: 15 things we know now that we really didn't know so well before

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

We've learned new things in this pandemic - and reaffirmed some old ones.

Green work in the country: Department of Conservation ranger Paul Cashmore (right) and forester Wiremu Redmond with wilding pines cut down on Rainbow Mountain, south of Rotorua. Photo / Alan Gibson

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Finally, a Budget for a 'green and pleasant land'

15 May, 2020 5:00am
6 minutes to read

The Budget is far more transformational than it would have been without the crisis.

National leader Simon Bridges (left) with finance spokesman Paul Goldsmith at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: National and Act riding the wrong horses for this course

13 May, 2020 7:00pm
5 minutes to read

National and Act have alternative Budget plans, but where's the big quality thinking?

Short-term help for small and medium-sized businesses must be generous. Photo / Michael Craig

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: A 10-point checklist for Grant Robertson's Budget

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

COMMENT: Will the Budget be as good for NZ as the Finance Minister says? How will we know?

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: The day of the hugs

9 May, 2020 5:00am
12 minutes to read

After the lockdown and social distancing, what then? Maybe we'll have a new way to behave.

Ed Sheeran and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern: If he became a Kiwi, could he handle the jandal? Photo / supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Who can handle the jandal? Simon Wilson on the tourists and migrants we need now

8 May, 2020 5:00am
6 minutes to read

Freedom campers, tech companies, Ed Sheeran: who do we really want in this country?

Colonel Tom Moore belies his 100 years of age. Photo / AP

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Being old in a Covid world

6 May, 2020 7:00pm
5 minutes to read

Were the elderly victims of Covid-19 "going to die anyway"?

Finance Minister Grant Robertson: The enormous rescue package is inherently a rejection of neoliberalism, but his budget on May 14 is the Government's great test. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Is this the death of neoliberalism?

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

With the unprecedented new Government spending, have the economic basics changed forever?

Will restoration of the countryside be part of the Covid-19 recovery plan? Photo /Simon Wilson

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: How green will the Covid recovery plan be?

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

Recovery based on 'sustainability, productivity and reducing inequality': Will it happen?

A construction worker on Queen St gets back on the job, but employment as we know it may not, for many of us, be with us very much longer. Photo / Michael Craig

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Why does anyone think it's time for a universal basic income?

1 May, 2020 5:00am
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: With a recession looming, benefit reform has to help, and not make things worse.

National leader Simon Bridges: Job surely safe for now, but how will he respond to the Budget? Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Why one-lane Bridges is safe for now

29 Apr, 2020 7:00pm
5 minutes to read

National's leader will not be rolled ahead of the Budget, but after that all bets are off.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern: A great communicator, but why is that a problem? Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Why are people sniffy about Ardern's communication skills?

27 Apr, 2020 7:00pm
5 minutes to read

Communication is a core leadership skill, so why does it make some people suspicious?

Uninhibited abuse! Lisa Chappell and Adam Gardiner in Polo, Dean Parker's last play with the Auckland Theatre Company. Photo / Michael Smith

LIFESTYLE

Dean Parker: The man who bit the hand that feeds

25 Apr, 2020 5:00am
7 minutes to read

Hang-dog, always in faded denim, Dean Parker was one of our brightest artistic minds.

When we get the economy back to work, will we be resetting for the public good? Photo / Michael Craig

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson's pandemic diary: 7 lessons on economics from a non-economist

24 Apr, 2020 7:00pm
5 minutes to read

When we get the economy back to work, will we be resetting for the public good?

Imagine what we could do with our cities and our lives if we really wanted to make some changes. Photo / Michael Craig

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Once we beat Covid-19, imagine what we could do next

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

COMMENT: After lockdown, are we going to build ourselves a better society?

National leader Simon Bridges speaks to media about the end of the lockdown. Photo / Getty Images

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson's pandemic diary: Please Mr Bridges, that's enough

22 Apr, 2020 7:00pm
4 minutes to read

Why are National Party people channelling Donald Trump?

People walking, exercising and maintaining social distance on Auckland's Takapuna beach on Sunday. Photo / Alex Burton

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson's pandemic diary: This is not health vs economy

20 Apr, 2020 6:23pm
5 minutes to read

As we prepare to move out of lockdown, what's the biggest problem we face?

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to media at Parliament about the pandemic response, April 16. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: 10-point plan to beat Covid

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

So many amateur experts - but the Government has a better pandemic plan than they think.

Thomas Cromwell wanted to create a modern England. Photo / Getty Images

LIFESTYLE

Human in a time of crisis: Thomas Cromwell and the lessons of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy

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

What does it take to govern? What is it to be human? A tale of Tudor England and today.

It's good to talk: just one of the things we've come to value all over again in the lockdown. Photo / Alex Burton

NEW ZEALAND

37 great and good things to come out of the lockdown

17 Apr, 2020 11:56am
7 minutes to read

It really hasn't been that bad. Has it?

Vehicle imports could be gone from the Auckland port

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: What happened to the plan to shift the Auckland port?

17 Apr, 2020 5:00am
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: With a massive new infrastructure spend on its way, what will happen to the port?

Tooth fairies in the Bay of Plenty (Pamela Jackson, left, and Lyndsay Currie). Photo / Andrew Warner

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Toothache in a time of lockdown

15 Apr, 2020 7:00pm
4 minutes to read

What do you do about toothache in a lockdown?

When the streets come alive, physical distancing style: the Bond St bridge connecting Kingsland and Arch Hill above the northwest motorway. Photo / Alex Burton

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson's pandemic diary: $100 million for bikes and walkways?

13 Apr, 2020 7:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: What will our streets be like when the lockdown ends?

Have kids, do some cooking? Photo / 123rf

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson's pandemic diary: Children in the house

10 Apr, 2020 7:00pm
5 minutes to read

A tale of cooking, children and the quest for fun times in a locked-down life.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern arriving for her post-Cabinet media update at Parliament this week. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson's pandemic diary: Jacinda's right, stay the course

8 Apr, 2020 7:00pm
5 minutes to read

We're starting to think about life after level 4, but how terrible it would be to rush it.

New World Long Bay checkout operator Komal Patel in mask and gloves. But should everyone in the shop wear the protective gear? Photo / Peter Meecham

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson's pandemic diary: Should we wear masks in supermarkets?

6 Apr, 2020 7:00pm
5 minutes to read

Are we taking the risks in supermarkets seriously enough? Why aren't masks mandatory?

A shopper in Otahuhu, Auckland, during the Covid-19 crisis. Photo / Michael Craig

NEW ZEALAND

Five big things we need to go our way to come out of this alive

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

We can make it through this, but only if we commit to making a lot of things go right.

Metro magazine: issue one, May/June 1981. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Why the end of Bauer magazines is a blow to everyone

2 Apr, 2020 1:52pm
8 minutes to read

No more Listener, Metro or Woman's Day: Why the end of Bauer Media is such bad news.

President Donald Trump: Where goes his country now? Photo / AP/Evan Vucci

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson's pandemic diary: Life without America

1 Apr, 2020 7:00pm
4 minutes to read

The pandemic will be far worse in the US than it should be. Why? Blame American democracy.

Social distancing on Bond St, Auckland. Photo / Alex Burton

PREMIUM

The deluge to come: Simon Wilson's pandemic diary

30 Mar, 2020 7:00pm
4 minutes to read

The storm rolled in and then rolled away, but it will be back. Life in a pandemic, contd.

Stay home, but get some exercise, so go out, but stay in your bubble. Photo / Mike Scott

NEW ZEALAND

Still life with sunsets: Simon Wilson's Covid 19 pandemic diary

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

Small frictions at home and in official messaging, as we start our first lockdown weekend.

Drawings of public housing to be built on Beach Haven Rd, Birkdale. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Beach Haven and the future of social housing

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

COMMENT: What's the point of solving a supply crisis if you risk creating a slum crisis?

Now we've learned the Kiwi Queue: everyone back up. Photo / Alex Burton

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson's diary of a pandemic: No haircuts for the duration

25 Mar, 2020 7:27pm
4 minutes to read

The lockdown has begun and now we're braced for - what will it be exactly?

Books by Beryl Bainbridge, Apsley Cherry-Garrard and Jenny Diski will take you to Antarctica from the comfort of home. Photo / Paul Carroll

TRAVEL

Simon Wilson: Travels with my armchair

24 Mar, 2020 5:00am
10 minutes to read

47 great books and movies for when you can't leave home but want to be somewhere else.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announcing the Government will put the country into lockdown to try to stop the spread of Covid-19 coronavirus. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson's diary of a pandemic: Autumn song

23 Mar, 2020 7:00pm
5 minutes to read

It's autumn, and are we going to cope? Simon Wilson kicks off his pandemic diary today.

Auckland Design Office was behind the High St initiative, where wider footpaths make the street more welcoming to shoppers. Photo / Michael Craig

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: The Auckland Council appointment that could change everything

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

COMMENT: Council will soon appoint a new CEO. Will we get the smart city leader we need?

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Finance Minister Grant Robertson answering questions on the Government's economic response to coronavirus Covid-19. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: The world is closing down around us

17 Mar, 2020 7:00pm
6 minutes to read

Are we doing okay? Simon Wilson considers the latest news on coronavirus.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hugs a mosque-goer at the Kilbirnie Mosque on March 17, 2019 in Wellington. Photo / Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images

NEW ZEALAND

'Hello brother': A year after the mosque attacks, who are we now?

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

It's been a year since the Chch mosque killings. Who are we now? And what have we learned?

Collingwood St in Ponsonby, used by many motorists to avoid the traffic lights. Photo / Michael Craig

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Shortcut to anger - The problem with Ponsonby traffic

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

COMMENT: Ponsonby traffic is beyond a joke, but whose fault is that?

NEW ZEALAND

Jeanette Fitzsimons: She came bearing daffodils

6 Mar, 2020 12:30pm
6 minutes to read

Green activist Jeanette Fitzsimons was once NZ's most trusted political leader.

The wider footpath on High St in central Auckland: it was to be the start of something big, but is it the end? Photo / Michael Craig

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Ugly death for Auckland Council design office

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

Auckland Council is disbanding its own champion design office and the city will suffer.

Limbo Unhinged, one of the glitzier shows, planned for Auckland Arts Festival.

PREMIUM

Simon Wilson: Are arts festivals too much of a good thing?

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

It's arts festival season, and Simon Wilson has some questions.

An enclosed seawater pool and lagoon with beaches feature in the Ngāti Whātua masterplan for the Quay Park/downtown waterfront area. But Auckland Transport has its own ideas. Image / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: The bus battle of Auckland Transport, SkyCity and Ngāti Whātua

28 Feb, 2020 5:00am
7 minutes to read

Why does Auckland Transport think it's a good idea to put a bus terminal on Māori land?

Old and new state housing in Northcote. After a long hiatus, a large new-build programme is underway in Auckland. Photo / Michael Craig

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: The one big thing that caused our housing crisis

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

Hint: It's not land shortages, the Resource Management Act or construction costs.

Artist impression of the REM light-rail line CDPQ Infra is building in Montreal. A similar plan is expected from both contenders for the Auckland light-rail project. Image / supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Proof! PPPs endanger the public good

21 Feb, 2020 5:00am
7 minutes to read

Should Auckland light rail be funded through a PPP? Not if it's like Transmission Gully.

UN special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, Leilani Farha. Photo / Supplied

NEW ZEALAND

Make it illegal to throw people onto the street: UN visitor

19 Feb, 2020 3:50pm
5 minutes to read

A special investigator from the UN says we should be doing more about homelessness.

Funeral service of former Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Mike Moore. Photo / Pool

NEW ZEALAND

The man who would be king: Simon Wilson on Mike Moore's funeral

14 Feb, 2020 8:10pm
8 minutes to read

The great and the good turned out for the funeral of former PM Mike Moore.

Victoria Street West reduced to one lane each way due to road works. Photo / Jason Oxenham

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Hosking's road-cone rage - what's really going on?

14 Feb, 2020 5:00am
7 minutes to read

What's behind the road cone rage afflicting some people in this city?

Former Labour Prime Minister, Mike Moore, died last week aged 71. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Funeral for former PM Mike Moore tomorrow

13 Feb, 2020 2:41pm
3 minutes to read

The lineup of attendees will include most party leaders in Parliament today.

Jacinda Ardern addresses the crowds at the powhiri for MPs and other dignitaries, February 4. Photo / Michael Cunningham

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: The passions of Waitangi

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

The Waitangi challenge: can we be the best we can be?

Victoria Cross recipient Willie Apiata cutting the ribbon for the opening of the Waitangi Museum with Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy, Māori Batallion survivor Robert

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson at Waitangi: Love in a place of war

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

Waitangi has a beautiful new museum to commemorate Māori at war. It's fuelled by love.

Waitangi 2020: Politicians arrive for their powhiri, with Ngapuhi protest matriarch Titewhai Harawira holding the hand of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Photo / Michael Cunningham

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Andrew Little steals the show at Waitangi

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

As Waitangi celebrations begin, Treaty Minister Andrew Little reveals a talent for te reo.

Crowds gathered in Christchurch to commemorate the victims of the March 15 terror attacks. Photo / Alan Gibson

NEW ZEALAND

Time to change the national anthem? PM weighs in

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

Is the national anthem out of date and irrelevant to too many New Zealanders?

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Time for a new national anthem?

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

Change the national anthem? Simon Wilson has a few suggestions.

Aerial concept view of the LegendNZ Centre, a new museum and exhibition centre proposed for Wynyard Point. Image / Archimedia

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: Why we need a museum on the waterfront

31 Jan, 2020 5:00am
7 minutes to read

Why a museum, not a stadium, is a priority for development on the Auckland waterfront.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced the first part of the Government's new $12 billion infrastructure spend, devoted largely to transport. Photo / Mark Mitchell

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: The true purpose of the Govt's transport spend-up

29 Jan, 2020 2:25pm
6 minutes to read

More roads, says the Government, but there's far more to the plan than that.

Artist's impression of the proposed LegendNZ Centre on Wynyard Point. Image / supplied

NEW ZEALAND

New waka-shaped museum proposed for Auckland

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

A new museum, shaped like a waka, has been proposed for the Auckland waterfront.

A new Beam e-scooter on Tamaki Drive. Photo / Jason Oxenham

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: A great city for families will be a great city for scootering

23 Jan, 2020 2:31pm
7 minutes to read

It's official: Auckland is not a family-friendly city. Better scootering could fix that.

Victoria St reduced to one lane each way because of road works causing major congestion. Photo / Jason Oxenham

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: The whiff of panic in National and Labour's transport plans

17 Jan, 2020 5:00am
7 minutes to read

National and Labour are both scrambling for transport votes but their policies are flawed.

NEW ZEALAND

Simon Wilson: This broken country (and the Govt that says it wants to fix it)

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

COMMENT: Why has Govt done so much less than promised? Simon Wilson's election challenge.