Wednesday's announcement that former Reserve Bank Governor Dr Don Brash will head the 'Catching up with Australia' taskforce is good news for New Zealand. Closing the income gap with Australia by 2025 was a key part of the ACT-National confidence and... Read More

At the Projects and Services Committee, elected members were updated on progress on the Southern Pipeline that is to take wastewater across the city to Te Maunga Wastewater Treatment Plant. This is to cope with Tauranga's anticipated growth for the... Read More

Where do I start? I am going to leave the cat register alone for a week, as some of the dastardly feline deeds arriving at me kennel are making my tail curl and my stomach rumble. So we will move on and celebrate the demise of the lads in yellow... Read More

We learned three things from the government this week. 1. It does have balls, after all. At least some members do. 2. It struggles sometimes to have a clear understanding of what New Zealanders really think. 3. Sometimes Nanny State needs a good... Read More

I woke up the other day covered in a rash and splotches. This caused me to head into the chemist looking like a leper, where they told me I have been over-exposed to wheat and need to go gluten-free. On the way home I thought how I should grow my... Read More

A truly free society is one that releases the energies and creativity and abilities of everyone. It prevents some people from arbitrarily suppressing others. Freedom means diversity, but also mobility. It enables today's disadvantaged to become tomorrow's... Read More

Queen Victoria once said if her people had plenty of good beer, there would be no revolution. How things change. There's a beer revolution today that's a welcome revolt for fans of great beer. It's spear-headed by independent, small-production... Read More

Last Saturday morning I was in Koromiko Street in Judea to place my usual flutter on the horses when I spied a large number of cars outside the Argos Gym. Being inquisitive, I made it my business to find out what was happening. I smelt a Western... Read More

I know it sounds uncharitable but every time I see Robbie Deans in his Wallabies outfit I want to scream. Without wanting to be disrespectful to Graham Henry - and it certainly isn't personal - Robbie should be the All Blacks coach… plain... Read More

As noted in previous blogs, Blu-rays are now trickling into New Zealand but are we behind or in front of the world? I'm currently on a little excursion around the globe so in the past weeks have had the chance to check out the pick-up of this new medium... Read More

There was a warm and fuzzy group hug down at city hall last week as the three member councils of SmartGrowth got together on a meet and greet. Tauranga City (TCC), Western Bay (WBOPDC) and the Regional Council Environment BOP (EBOP) got together in... Read More

Well this is not a dastardly feline story, but as it has to do with food and the boss man, I just had to let you all know about it. Yesterday, the boss was at the local supermarket buying me a large bag of the best dog biscuits. He was in the line... Read More