About
Chris Trotter
Latest articles
Keith Locke died at the age of 80 without losing either his heart or his head. Indeed, there was about the man a joyous naiveté that one no longer finds on the New Zealand Left, writes Chris Trotter
24th Jun 24, 8:24am
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Keith Locke died at the age of 80 without losing either his heart or his head. Indeed, there was about the man a joyous naiveté that one no longer finds on the New Zealand Left, writes Chris Trotter
Chris Trotter asks what would it be like to live in a country where real change was possible? And we could make it?
17th Jun 24, 9:37am
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Chris Trotter asks what would it be like to live in a country where real change was possible? And we could make it?
There may well have been 50,000 pairs of feet 'Marching For Nature' down Auckland’s Queen Street on Saturday afternoon, writes Chris Trotter, but the figure that impresses the Coalition Government is the 1,450,000 pairs of feet that were somewhere else
10th Jun 24, 8:22am
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There may well have been 50,000 pairs of feet 'Marching For Nature' down Auckland’s Queen Street on Saturday afternoon, writes Chris Trotter, but the figure that impresses the Coalition Government is the 1,450,000 pairs of feet that were somewhere else
New Zealand’s future belongs to those who do not fear a nation carved out of unity and equity, writes Chris Trotter, and are willing to trust the carvers
3rd Jun 24, 9:55am
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New Zealand’s future belongs to those who do not fear a nation carved out of unity and equity, writes Chris Trotter, and are willing to trust the carvers
Forget the loud-hailers Minister, what you need is TikTok
Only Willie Jackson possesses the credentials to meld together a new Labour message that is, at one and the same moment, staunchly working-class, union-friendly, and which speaks to the hundreds-of-thousands of urban Māori untethered to the neo-tribal cap
20th May 24, 9:23am
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Only Willie Jackson possesses the credentials to meld together a new Labour message that is, at one and the same moment, staunchly working-class, union-friendly, and which speaks to the hundreds-of-thousands of urban Māori untethered to the neo-tribal cap
Chris Trotter says attacking the smartest and most resilient people in the room is never a good idea
13th May 24, 8:24am
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Chris Trotter says attacking the smartest and most resilient people in the room is never a good idea
Chris Trotter says like it or not, the Kiwis are either going into 'Pillar 2' – or they are going to China
6th May 24, 9:48am
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Chris Trotter says like it or not, the Kiwis are either going into 'Pillar 2' – or they are going to China
Will political polarisation intensify to the point where 'normal' government becomes impossible, and democracy is reduced to a triennial search-and-destroy mission?
29th Apr 24, 9:37am
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Will political polarisation intensify to the point where 'normal' government becomes impossible, and democracy is reduced to a triennial search-and-destroy mission?
In many ways the media that the experts wanted, turned out to be the media they have got, writes Chris Trotter
22nd Apr 24, 9:54am
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In many ways the media that the experts wanted, turned out to be the media they have got, writes Chris Trotter
An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure, writes Chris Trotter
15th Apr 24, 9:17am
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An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure, writes Chris Trotter
Perhaps the most important lesson of Friday’s School Strike flop is that political consciousness cannot be assembled like so many Lego blocks, writes Chris Trotter
8th Apr 24, 2:02pm
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Perhaps the most important lesson of Friday’s School Strike flop is that political consciousness cannot be assembled like so many Lego blocks, writes Chris Trotter
It would seem that the realities of practical politics makes utilitarians of us all, writes Chris Trotter
1st Apr 24, 9:47am
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It would seem that the realities of practical politics makes utilitarians of us all, writes Chris Trotter
Chris Trotter asks: If Jacinda Ardern’s government struggled to contain 3,000 angry Kiwis in 2022, how will Christopher Luxon’s cope with 300,000 in 2025?
25th Mar 24, 7:56am
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Chris Trotter asks: If Jacinda Ardern’s government struggled to contain 3,000 angry Kiwis in 2022, how will Christopher Luxon’s cope with 300,000 in 2025?
False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential, writes Chris Trotter
18th Mar 24, 8:41am
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False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential, writes Chris Trotter
To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it's necessary to return to the 'glory days' of Muldoonism, writes Chris Trotter
11th Mar 24, 9:20am
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To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it's necessary to return to the 'glory days' of Muldoonism, writes Chris Trotter
Was it ever realistic to believe that two commercial television networks could settle into such a tiny market? – asks Chris Trotter
4th Mar 24, 8:16am
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Was it ever realistic to believe that two commercial television networks could settle into such a tiny market? – asks Chris Trotter
The Nats do best when they take the 'national' part of their name seriously, writes Chris Trotter
26th Feb 24, 7:24am
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The Nats do best when they take the 'national' part of their name seriously, writes Chris Trotter
Chris Trotter asks whether applying 'tough love' to a 'fragile' nation is the right answer
19th Feb 24, 7:43am
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Chris Trotter asks whether applying 'tough love' to a 'fragile' nation is the right answer
Chris Trotter says you can’t just switch populism on and off like a lightbulb. Nor can you boast about ignoring the wishes of the “overwhelming majority” of the New Zealand people. Not if you want to remain the dominant right-wing party
12th Feb 24, 8:02am
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Chris Trotter says you can’t just switch populism on and off like a lightbulb. Nor can you boast about ignoring the wishes of the “overwhelming majority” of the New Zealand people. Not if you want to remain the dominant right-wing party
In three years’ time, writes Chris Trotter, Chloe Swarbrick will either be a broken political doll – or New Zealand’s first Green prime minister
5th Feb 24, 7:39am
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In three years’ time, writes Chris Trotter, Chloe Swarbrick will either be a broken political doll – or New Zealand’s first Green prime minister
The Left’s belief that intransigent minorities will not be electorally punished for spitting the face of the majority is truly bizarre, writes Chris Trotter
29th Jan 24, 9:03am
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The Left’s belief that intransigent minorities will not be electorally punished for spitting the face of the majority is truly bizarre, writes Chris Trotter
Saturday's Hui was an impressive demonstration of the power of te iwi Māori, Chris Trotter says
22nd Jan 24, 9:43am
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Saturday's Hui was an impressive demonstration of the power of te iwi Māori, Chris Trotter says
Veteran leftist Robert Reid says New Zealand’s at war with Yemen. Chris Trotter begs to differ
15th Jan 24, 8:08am
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Veteran leftist Robert Reid says New Zealand’s at war with Yemen. Chris Trotter begs to differ
There’s no point looking for red-hot chilli-peppers in a paddock planted with potatoes, writes Chris Trotter
18th Dec 23, 7:59am
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There’s no point looking for red-hot chilli-peppers in a paddock planted with potatoes, writes Chris Trotter