New Zealand's Property-Industrial Complex: A democratic warning
In his 1961 farewell address, President Eisenhower warned America about the military-industrial complex. In 2024, New Zealand faces its own existential threat: the property-industrial complex has consumed our democracy whole.
Grant McLachlan - Column
18 hours ago4 min read
Would they go to jail? Comparing New Zealand's corruption gap with Australia's integrity framework
New Zealand lacks the robust anti-corruption infrastructure that exists across every Australian state and at the federal level.
Grant McLachlan - Column
3 days ago33 min read
The clandestine campaign to dismantle Jacindamania
The falls from grace of Helen Clark and Jacinda Ardern were not the result of democratic whim or policy failure, but rather the outcome of sophisticated, coordinated campaigns orchestrated by a network of right-wing political operatives who maintained the illusion of independent action while working in concert.
Grant McLachlan
3 days ago31 min read
Syrup sticks: Why Christ's College can't wash away its abusive past
When TVNZ commentator Scotty Stevenson called Christ’s College students “syrup suckers” during cricket coverage this week, he inadvertently exposed something far more troubling than a schoolyard nickname.
Grant McLachlan - Column
4 days ago4 min read
When good intentions paved the road to gridlock: New Zealand’s cycleway saga
I used to cycle across town to school without a second thought about safety. The roads were shared space, drivers watched out for cyclists, and common sense prevailed. That was before cycling became an industry.
Grant McLachlan
7 days ago4 min read
The roads that never were: Ten New Zealand infrastructure dreams that died on the drawing board
New Zealand’s transport network tells a story not just of what was built, but of what could have been.
Grant McLachlan
Dec 119 min read
The Immigration Tap: How National turned a housing crisis into a growth strategy
For nearly a decade, National governments have run the same cynical playbook: when the economy falters, turn on the immigration tap. It’s economic fraud masquerading as policy.
Grant McLachlan
Nov 3010 min read
New Zealand’s corruption illusion: A Police scandal exposes the myth
This week's damning IPCA report on the McSkimming scandal exposes New Zealand's corruption paradox: ranked third globally for clean governance, yet complaints go un-investigated by compromised oversight bodies. Without a truly independent anti-corruption commission with powers like Australia's ICAC, New Zealand's squeaky-clean reputation remains an illusion sustained by institutional complicity, political cronies embedded in civil service, and media silence born from revolvin
Grant McLachlan
Nov 154 min read
The cynical motives behind Maori representation
The establishment of Maori seats in New Zealand’s Parliament in 1867 tells a story of political calculation rather than progressive idealism.
Grant McLachlan
Aug 183 min read
Politics101: The art of the false allegation
Political scandals involving allegations that are later unsubstantiated or dismissed represent a complex intersection of media, law enforcement, and democratic accountability.
Grant McLachlan
Aug 412 min read
'Ruling the Roost': How a council staffer created her own private fiefdom.
Imagine a job where you could live the life of a lord where you rule by decree and can act with impunity. Welcome to the life of Megan Young.
Grant McLachlan - Column
May 3121 min read
Why Police Commissioner Richard Chambers is the problem and should resign.
Instead of investigating complaints that a police station was operated by unvetted and unsupervised volunteers, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers instead abused police resources to dig dirt on the complainant to use as an excuse to discredit the complainant and dismiss the complaint. I sent this email to the Commissioner, calling for him to resign.
Grant McLachlan
May 2715 min read
Freedom fighters or freedom frauds? The Act Party’s local government hypocrisy
Act want to run candidates at this year's local body elections. But local body politicians who were previously Act candidates at the general election are retiring. Their track records speak for themselves.
Grant McLachlan - Column
Apr 269 min read
Investigative journalism master class eviscerating corrupt council
In an era when media organisations frantically downsize, replacing substance with clickbait and advertorial content, a remarkable counter-narrative is unfolding in Queenstown.
Grant McLachlan
Apr 166 min read
ALEC's global reach: How US corporate interests drive New Zealand's punitive justice policies
New Zealand's Act Party, Sensible Sentencing Trust, and New Zealand Taxpayers' Union simply echo US think tanks. Why?
Grant McLachlan - Column
Apr 1212 min read
Is Auckland Council fascist?
“Fascism” is a strong word, but when examining recent events in Auckland Council governance, troubling parallels emerge.
Grant McLachlan - Column
Mar 314 min read
Trump actions repeat mistakes that led to World War II
There is a foreboding similarity between Trump's actions and those that led to World War II.
Grant McLachlan
Feb 273 min read
China’s Pacific strategy mirrors Japan’s pre-war playbook
Bywater's 1925 book The Great Pacific Water accurately predicted not just the rise of Japan but also China a century later.
Grant McLachlan
Feb 224 min read
Tassie soldiers left a proud legacy of sacrifice and courage that continues to inspire new generations
The story of the “Doomed Battalion” should be remembered for its extraordinary impact on the Pacific War, writes Grant McLachlan.
Grant McLachlan - The Mercury - Column
Feb 204 min read
Has Queenstown exceeded capacity?
Queenstown risks destroying the very reason people visit the destination. With the sewerage plant overflowing, can it grow any further?
Grant McLachlan
Feb 74 min read
