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
5 hours ago19 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
1 day ago10 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
The serious crimes that Police won’t prosecute.
If the punishment is 14 years in prison, you’d think that Police would take the crime seriously, wouldn’t you?
Grant McLachlan
Feb 623 min read
Is Queenstown's "Road to Nowhere" a waste of money?
The Queenstown upgrade of Melbourne & Henry Streets has been heralded as a bypass of Queenstown's CBD. Was the $128m price tag worth it?
Grant McLachlan
Feb 51 min read
Bird-brained council officials are dividing communities
Snells Beach encapsulates how a poor decision by elected officials spirals into overreach by unelected officials, wasting time and money.
Grant McLachlan - Column
Feb 23 min read
Submission to Auckland Council in response to proposals for the northern end of Snells Beach
Submissions to the Rodney Local Board of Auckland Council on the Proposals of Megan Young and dog access rules for Snells Beach.
Grant McLachlan
Jan 3017 min read
The Politics of Stupid
Oscar Wilde said: "Life imitates art far more than art imitates life." In Snells Beach, life imitates the films Zoolander and Hot Fuzz.
Grant McLachlan - Column
Jan 287 min read
