Balancing tax and spending is not a task we can afford to cede to appointed experts...

The close scrutiny of the young tourists shows the SIS harbours deep suspicions when it comes to Israeli activity

Lawrence Lessig, one of the leading lights of the Creative Commons movement, has praised New Zealand's law making systems in an address to today's NetHui meeting.

The danger in that case would be that, as in the global financial crisis three years ago, everyone in the market starts looking sideways at their counterparts and worrying about how much they might be exposed.

Politicians can go door-knocking at electorate level, but they will be wasting their time trying to attract the attention of the media.

If money determines law and policy, then those with money will always win. But a democracy is supposed to be about the power of ideas and a good idea should be able to stand on its own feet without a cash inducement.