OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Housing plan 'a weak compromise'Mayor Len Brown and his deputy Penny Hulse pushed hard for quotas for affordable housing to be included in the accord, but the Govt refused, writes Brian Rudman.12 May 05:30 PM
OpinionBrian Rudman: Death bed confession from capitalDr John Key has blurted out loud what we've long suspected, Wellington is a terminal case, writes Brian Rudman. Incurable. "We don't know how to turn it around."09 May 09:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Plan to ship cultural heritage staggeringBrian Rudman asks: "Should we be shipping this cultural heritage off to a commercial collector of photographic libraries in the United States for safe-keeping?"07 May 05:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Tale of two cities bizarrely alikeOne problem Vancouver does share with Auckland is the burning problem of housing affordability, writes Brian Rudman.05 May 05:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Mayor Maurice? It'll be a fun raceWhat many were predicting would be a one-horse race for one of the biggest political prizes in the land, could at last come alive, writes Brian Rudman.02 May 05:30 PM
OpinionBrian Rudman: Commonwealth faces test of its principlesMost New Zealanders had no idea that this island off the bottom of India would be hosting the biennial Commonwealth heads of government meeting, writes Brian Rudman.30 Apr 05:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: $59 billion plan enough to give you road rageUnfortunately, the plan comes with a shortfall of $10 billion to $15 billion in guaranteed sources of future public funding, writes Brian Rudman.28 Apr 05:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Zapping youngsters a step too far"Why should under-25s, with nothing but a desire for a romantic stroll in the park, be driven out for nothing more than the crime of having acute hearing?" asks Brian Rudman.25 Apr 05:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Shearer electrifying free-market debate"What just happened?" asks Brian Rudman. "Bland, colourless Labour leader David Shearer has suddenly been transmogrified into a working-class hero."23 Apr 05:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: 'Donkey votes' can make an ass of council electionTomorrow, Auckland councillors decide whether candidates' names in this year's ballot papers should be listed in alphabetical order, writes Brian Rudman.21 Apr 05:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Volcanic views an Auckland rightShould we protect the views, writes Brian Rudman, or slip in a few apartments as some act of reconciliation. Is it any wonder the majority of councillors have doubts.18 Apr 05:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Time to set Paula Bennett on to tax cheatsBeneficiary cheats face not just the wrath of the law but a public tongue-lashing from minister Paula Bennett as well, writes Brian Rudman.16 Apr 05:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Snail-pace action on volcanoesTo geologists perhaps, six years is nothing, writes Brian Rudman. But for those of us on human time, it seems an inordinate amount of time to need to hatch the plan.14 Apr 05:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Noise rules could drive you crazy"What controls will be imposed to ensure the good design of the new terrace housing and apartment blocks?" asks Brian Rudman. "What noise controls will be set in place?"11 Apr 09:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Cuts to DoC threaten other worthy causesWhat isn't fair is the way the Government is forcing DoC to use commercial and voluntary partnerships to make up for cuts in state funding, writes Brian Rudman.09 Apr 05:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: End in sight for bus fiascoIt's taken 10 years, but finally the penny has dropped in the dark recesses of Auckland Transport's brain box, writes Brian Rudman.07 Apr 05:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Heart of city heading for coronaryWith more than 50,000 people living in Auckland's CBD, it's no longer just the retailers and the businesses being inconvenienced, writes Brian Rudman.04 Apr 08:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Remove curse of these hell houndsHow many more people have to be killed or maimed by vicious dogs before our parliamentarians and police start to act?02 Apr 04:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Housing needs nudge, not a working partyHobsonville is the sort of public-private partnership that when it comes to roads and schools buildings, this Government actively promotes, writes Brian Rudman.26 Mar 04:30 PM
OpinionBrian Rudman: We have Waikato water - so let's use it" With so much of it, why are the sports fields as hard as concrete?" asks Brian Rudman. "Auckland now has a giant faucet connected straight to the mighty Waikato River."19 Mar 04:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Auckland set it up, knock it downIt would be great if Environment Minister Amy Adams could make up her mind about Auckland's new draft unitary plan, writes Brian Rudman.17 Mar 04:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Planning to move with the timesAucklanders are now able to go online and discover how their own home and neighbourhoods are affected by the new masterplan, writes Brian Rudman.15 Mar 01:30 AM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Taxing carparks the right moveThe Government really must be strapped for money, Brian Rudman. It's so short that to scrape in an extra $17 million or so of petty cash it's willing to break an election pledge and upset a group of core supporters.12 Mar 08:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Logjam hardly a one-off eventAfter last week's chaos, it's clear we need dedicated and vigilantly policed bus lanes to keep city moving.10 Mar 08:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Smith gets it wrong with land rantEchoing demands from Prime Minister John Key that Auckland Council free up farmland for housing development, Dr Smith is vowing "to break through the stranglehold that the existing Metropolitan Urban Limit has on land supplies".07 Mar 08:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Stub out the peddlers of the habit"What is the powerful hold international tobacco peddlers seem to have over governments around the world?" asks Brian Rudman.05 Mar 04:30 PM
OpinionBrian Rudman: City's cultural desert is a mirageWhat Auckland's cultural scene does lack, when it comes to Ateed and Aucklanders in general, is a true appreciation of the goodies that are on offer on their doorsteps.03 Mar 08:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Labour should be making inroadsThe Opposition's only glimmer of hope is a gradually narrowing in the gap between those thinking NZ was "heading in the right direction" or going down "the wrong track", writes Brian Rudman.26 Feb 04:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Rezoning profits may go back into communityThe community housing sector in Auckland, which elsewhere would be in the market for developer-supplied affordable housing, is neither strong nor vibrant, writes Brian Rudman.24 Feb 04:30 PM
OpinionBrian RudmanBrian Rudman: Getting high rises right is the trickThe fear being expressed is as much about the getting there as the end result, Brian Rudman. And as a fan of the end result, it's a concern I share.21 Feb 08:30 PM
OpinionBrian Rudman: It's a charade of heirs and gracesThe game of charades Ms Collins wants our MPs to play is a joke on our democracy on many levels, writes Brian Rudman. How a liberal-minded modern politician can see any form of inherited monarchy as 21st century is beyond me.19 Feb 04:30 PM
