Latest fromBryan Gould

Bryan Gould: Democracy needs a good President
COMMENT: It is a decision for the American voter alone but it matters to all of us. We need to get it right.

Bryan Gould: Max Key's misplaced machismo
COMMENT: I can, on the basis of long experience, offer a tip that might help Max Key in his search for what it means to be a "real" man.

Bryan Gould: Could our TV create Trump?
COMMENT: We would be foolish to assume NZ is immune from the syndrome where television "stars" use relentless self-promotion to seek elected office.

Gould: Rich rentiers do nothing for us
COMMENT: As we read yet again of huge gains by property speculators, are we not obliged to ask a serious question?

Sour grapes against ABs goes too far
In sport, as in the rest of life, success is not always accompanied by applause and approbation. It can often attract resentment, envy and criticism. Rugby is no exception.

Press can't start story then not finish it
COMMENT: The media, which did such a good job in bringing an important story to public attention, cannot duck out now.

Narcissism shadows Trump's campaign
The American presidential election has been dominated over recent days by speculation about the mental fitness of the two main candidates.

Gould: Brits forge path to better Europe
COMMENT: Where Britain now goes, others will follow. For all those who want to see a better European future, that is an enticing prospect.

Bryan Gould: Housing bubble dangerously inflated
The outlook is bleak. The problem may be clear, but there is no one ready to step forward with a solution, writes Bryan Gould.

The loopy rule sucking flair from rugby
COMMENT: It is surely obvious that the lineout drive is increasingly at odds with the kind of contest that the game is intended to promote, writes Bryan Gould.

Bryan Gould: With John Key the buck stops somewhere else
COMMENT: It is amazing how often a Prime Minister who totally dominates his government seems to have been left out of the loop when crucial issues are decided, writes Bryan Gould.

Bryan Gould: House prices won't cool until banks restrained
COMMENT: Tweaking interest rates or imposing a low rate of land tax to cool the housing market is likely to be ineffective, writes Bryan Gould.

Bryan Gould: Niue contract damaging to Govt reputation
COMMENT: Unless we make it clear that we are not prepared to accept this erosion of our reputation for probity, the bad news will keep on coming, writes Bryan Gould.

Bryan Gould: Rich private donors a threat to NZ democracy
COMMENT: The purpose of democracy is not to win the propaganda battle but to elect a government that is accountable to the whole community - not just a few with money to spend, writes Bryan Gould.

Bryan Gould: Govt serving interests of the rich
COMMENT: Without realising it, we are becoming just like other countries where it is accepted that government serves the interests of the rich, writes Bryan Gould.

Bryan Gould: Fair pay fight part of wider war for respect
Our failure to pay women at the same rate as we pay men is nevertheless an expression of a deeply entrenched attitude in our society, Bryan Gould writes.

Bryan Gould: Community spirit can be used beyond sands of Awaroa
Our society will be stronger and healthier, if we see more of that community spirit expressed and applied in other parts of our national life as well, writes Bryan Gould.

Bryan Gould: Fund tertiary education locally to compete globally
The case for sparing the taxpayer the cost of tertiary education by applying a "user pays" principle looks pretty shaky when the user and the taxpayer are the same people, writes Bryan Gould.

Bryan Gould: TPP signing a denial of democracy
The TPP is not just a run-of-the-mill trade agreement but a major concession of the powers of self-government to large, international (mainly US) corporations, writes Bryan Gould.

Bryan Gould: Education's sinking lid crushing industry's vitality
In 1995, a year after my return to New Zealand to take up the Vice-Chancellorship of Waikato University, I was invited to lead a delegation to visit universities in China - the first such invitation....

Bryan Gould: Does John Key believe he can get away with anything?
COMMENT: John Key is adept at staying closely in touch with public opinion. It is one of his great political strengths - and weaknesses, writes Bryan Gould.