Author: Colin James

Max Bradford is the National party’s obvious shadow finance minister: a trained economist, experienced in a range of relevant activities, not too right of centre. But he is politically scarred so the party is firing him.

That is a wry irony. It was Bradford who, in the teeth of dogged opposition as the Shipley government wound down, started the creep centrewards that Bill English now wants to speed up. But it was also Bradford who promised electricity price falls in the teeth of the rises after his deregulation. So he is top villain to the National rank and file. read more

“Regional development” has come a long way from the 1970s. Then it resembled aid to the third world: money from Wellington to make work in depressed regions. Now it is smart work, anywhere, which the government “coaches”.

What makes that “regional”, as distinct from national? According to advocates of this revived practice, the distinctiveness of the region. So you don’t have a steel mill or wearable art or gumboot-throwing in every town. read more

Helen Clark goes to this weekend’s Labour party conference a leader in command, as none has been since Peter Fraser. The shy policy wonk of 20 years ago has become this country’s most commanding Prime Minister in half a century.

That long? Wasn’t Sir Robert Muldoon a powerhouse? Not like Clark is. He lost the feel of the electorate. Two years after his 1975 landslide he was within three months of losing a safe rural seat in a by-election and within a year winning fewer votes than Labour in a general election. read more

Business is about to get more assertive of its policy needs and to campaign for public backing of faster economic growth. A focal point will be a conference on December 6 organised by Business New Zealand.

This comes at a time when the government is still congratulating itself on its much improved relations with business through its regional forums and other projects. Helen Clark’s speeches to business audiences continue to be very well, sometimes nearly rapturously, received. And she gets very high marks for her trade and investment promotion work with business on trips abroad. read more

It sounds an anomaly in terms, like a herd of cats. But Steve Maharey is undeterred: he is backing a conference of social entrepreneurs.

What will they do, tomorrow and Friday in Wellington, these free spirits? Not earnestly pass resolutions to save souls. Entrepreneurs — business, cultural, environmental or social — are risk-takers for an idea that works, not conformists to majority votes. read more

The message from John Howard to Helen Clark is that if she wants three terms it will help if she picks and soothes the electorate’s frights.

Howard made up ground steadily all year, with policy backflips and high dives and oodles of money. But suburban fright at real and imagined Asian perils gave him his election-night cushion. read more

The most important word uttered by Helen Clark last week was “worldview”. It signals her recognition of biculturalism, the country’s biggest challenge.

Turning that challenge into opportunity would inscribe Clark’s prime ministership in history more memorably than a bigger economy or better hospitals. read more