Andrew Dickens

2 months ago | newstalkzb.co.nz | Andrew Dickens

So it looks like the Treaty Principles Act is toast as Christopher Luxon assured us it would be.  Much was made over the weekend that 90 per cent of the submissions were against it.  But that means nothing if all the opposing submissions were just photocopies of one. Māori are organised. Anyone who’s seen their multiple Hikoi's and the awesome organisation of the Kings Tangi should know that.  You underestimate Māori at your peril.   But it must also be noted that Act’s act was a simplistic dog.

2 months ago | newstalkzb.co.nz | Andrew Dickens

Tesla may benefit when founder Elon Musk leaves his government role.  There are reports the billionaire will leave his role at the Department of Government Efficiency to take a much smaller role in the administration.  It comes as auto maker reports a 13 percent drop in vehicle sales in the first three months of the year.  US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Andrew Dickens rumours of Musk's departure are already having an effect on Tesla's fortunes.  He says it's sent stocks up five percent.

2 months ago | newstalkzb.co.nz | Andrew Dickens

The comedian Jimmy Carr is coming back to New Zealand for a nationwide tour the culminates at Auckland's spark arena. These are big halls, and he can fill them because he’s that good.  It’s called Jimmy Carr laughs funny and he does. It’s so true it’s funny.  And that’s Jimmy’s thing.  It’s easy to lump comedians like Jimmy, and Ricky Gervais and America’s Bill Maher into a conservative label simply because so much of what they say is politically incorrect.

2 months ago | newstalkzb.co.nz | Andrew Dickens

The draft year 7-13 English curriculum proposes compulsory Shakespeare for senior secondary school students. That’s provoked a furious debate about the relevance of Shakespeare in this day and age. Shakespeare is important but is it essential. Even when I was at secondary school 45 years ago Shakespeare was not popular. One year we were studying hamlet. So, the school organised an afternoon matinee of the play at the mercury theatre.

2 months ago | newstalkzb.co.nz | Andrew Dickens

Winston’s great rail solution is now revealed: it’s just like KiwiRail’s iReX but cheaper.  The boats are still big and they’re rail enabled but the portside infrastructure is more reasonable.  And that’s always been the thing. The original boats were a good deal, but the kicker came portside.  KiwiRail was under the belief that the project had to be future proofed.  This was something that had to last 50 years - a type of thinking that New Zealand hasn’t done often.