OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Regulating on shaky groundThe harbour was looking lovely on Thursday morning. The tide appeared higher than usual, as though the expected 3am swell from the Chilean earthquake was still lifting the sea level.04 Apr 03:15 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Not all need a pension at 65John Key has not made many political mistakes but even on his side of the fence there is a feeling he went too far, writes John Roughan.14 Feb 04:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Seriously, let's look at the flagIt is time to think seriously about the flag, writes John Roughan. Seriously means it is not an exercise in artistic imagination, not yet anyway.31 Jan 07:29 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Peters deal would carry a priceIf Peters does a deal with National after the election - and he will, for reasons that will become obvious - he will want trophies, writes John Roughan.24 Jan 04:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Epsom knows the value of ActBusiness people are more accustomed to putting sentiment aside for important decisions, writes John Roughan.17 Jan 04:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Sharks - a risk we can acceptSharks are by no means the only risk almost everybody can face but the others are balanced by a rational need, writes John Roughan.10 Jan 04:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Mandela made us wait a whileWhen Nelson Mandela walked to freedom I fondly expected we in this country would see him somewhat sooner than we did.13 Dec 04:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: We lose a calm, gentle voiceRobinson's calm voice in the mornings has practically defined the character of National Radio for as long as I can remember writes John Roughan.29 Nov 10:59 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Here's to another glorious dayIt must amuse the All Blacks that we who write about them constantly contrive a mundane challenge for them. We need it, they don't. They are taking their game to a higher peak.15 Nov 07:21 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Key's restraint should be applaudedWe never give enough credit to leaders of this country for their deference at crucial times to the governor of the Reserve Bank.01 Nov 04:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Christening a tradition we could restoreWhen my first child was born, in Britain, an elderly gentleman whose house we were living in took me aside a few months after the birth and said he would have a word to the vicar about a christening.25 Oct 07:14 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Who would have thought ... ?Campaign sex, they called it in the book Primary Colours, sex supercharged with the adrenaline of public life.18 Oct 07:20 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Grass an ideal election issueIt is a bit of a chore to mow the berm. I live down a right of way and have to push the machine up there for a wedge of grass between my drive and the next. Too often I forget.04 Oct 09:00 PM
OpinionJohn Roughan: What will we do with our Cup?Match point can be the hardest to win. Anticipation makes some players choke, drop serve, let a tough competitor back into the match. Dean Barker's demeanour says he is not a choker.20 Sep 05:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: It was 50 years ago today ...There have been no nostalgic recollections in the paper, musical tributes on radio and replays of grainy old film on television. Doesn't anyone remember?13 Sep 08:27 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanCunliffe has the wind in his sailsSome things are immediately obvious, like which is the faster boat. When I watched the contenders on television last weekend the likely winner was clear at the first cross.06 Sep 05:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Call it a case of botch-ulismWho decided to sound the alarm before they knew for certain it was a botulism-causing bacteria? John Roughan looks at the issue.30 Aug 05:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Fishing all about justifying toysConsumers of fish who do not take pleasure in the kill should be considered in debate too.23 Aug 05:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Why aren't more Maori fishing?Why is it that 20 years after a Treaty settlement awarded iwi a fifth of new fishing quotas, we do not have a deep-sea industry employing many more young Maori?02 Aug 05:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Refreshing royalty's appealLittle things mean a lot. William brought out the baby's chair and buckled it in the back seat of the car.26 Jul 05:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: No short cut to our splendourConservation Minister is an enviable job. As lord of the estate you get to be helicoptered into grand and lovely parts of the country to meet good people, release endangered species and talk sense in defence of pesticides.19 Jul 05:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: No conscience qualms hereIn all conscience, I think I could vote for the convention centre. It was a smart move of the opposition in Parliament to call the bill a conscience vote on problem gambling.12 Jul 05:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Voters like to choose the PMAustralia's first female prime minister, like New Zealand's, had the misfortune to come to office on a vote of her caucus, not the country.28 Jun 05:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Paradise lost from old TamakiIf by some miracle of time-travel we could go back several hundred years and wander on the Auckland isthmus of that time, some things would be familiar.21 Jun 05:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Security trumps privacy onlinePrivacy commissioners say the public should be wary about this but most people are not, writes John Roughan. They post much more personal information about themselves on internet sites.14 Jun 05:56 AM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Sir Douglas should keep titleWind back the memory for a moment to 1990. NZ was reeling from six years of rapid economic reform. The fourth Labour Government had fallen apart and National, in the phrase of the day, had sleep-walked to victory.07 Jun 05:30 PM
OpinionJohn RoughanJohn Roughan: Labour-Greens tango a fizzerWhen Russel Norman snarls about business and profits, it repels the mainstream Labour needs if it is to get close to the 40 per cent it needs, writes John Roughan.31 May 05:30 PM
