John Armstrong

Wellington

Political Correspondent at New Zealand Herald

New Zealand Herald political columnist, Wellington Phoenix and Ipswich Town supporter, and hopelessly institutionalised inmate of Parliament Buildings

Articles

CVEPA Views: Treachery at the highest level – The Sopris Sun

4 weeks ago | soprissun.com | John Armstrong

It has been a long, slow evolution in the United States to achieve the environmental standards and protections that the American people have come to benefit from. We stand stunned at the short period of time that these achievements have unraveled. Clean air and water… are they not inalienable rights? Greed, an unquenchable thirst for power and wealth, now threatens to jettison the hard-earned protections of the past 75 years.
CVEPA Views: Who was Nikos Patsantaros? – The Sopris Sun

Aug 14, 2024 | soprissun.com | John Armstrong

Graffiti on public buildings, carving into soft desert sandstone and covering signs with insipid stickers all seem endemic these days. Is there a point when vandalism becomes artifact? Reflecting back on my high country meanders, I treasure the shepherd’s tree carvings the most. Throughout the boreal forest on Colorado’s Western Slope one can still find the artistic and now historic carvings of an era in the stretched-out bark of aged aspen trees.
The Will to Conserve – The Sopris Sun

Apr 24, 2024 | soprissun.com | John Armstrong

Next month there will be a celebration of land conservation. Conservation: the word comforts me; it has no negative charge. It is green, noncontroversial, popularly embraced and non-partisan. The Oxford dictionary defines conservation as “prevention of wasteful use of a resource.” Property owners may have the will to conserve but seek the means to conserve.
Why companies need to implement flexible work models

Apr 18, 2024 | thenationalnews.com | John Armstrong

What does work-life balance mean to you? Are employers in touch with employee needs? Work-life balance is a term that has become more prevalent in recent years. I had never heard of it when I joined the corporate world in London more than 20 years ago. Employees then had an expectation of a set working day that would not differ much from company to company. In recent years, employers have evolved – along with human resource policies – to meet the rising importance of employee engagement.
CVEPA Views: Winter of ‘83 stampede – The Sopris Sun

Jan 24, 2024 | soprissun.com | John Armstrong

The breaking of branches and the thunder of hooves struck trepidation in my heart. The fading light of December dusk made the scene even more surreal. My girlfriend and I were directly in the path of a stampede of about 50 elk! The snow was so deep and the autumn so cold that the elk had remained on the shady side of Marble Valley where a rancher’s open air hay barn provided unnatural forage.
Opinion | Alternative options fail to engage with voters

Dec 3, 2023 | thecrimsonwhite.com | John Armstrong

Going into December, it already seems all but certain that President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will be their respective parties’ nominees. Both are wracked by age and investigation and are only arguably fit to hold the office of president. Younger candidates — and non-candidates — had the opportunity to displace these party leaders and usher in a new generation of political leadership.
CVEPA Views: Nuts! An American Tragedy – The Sopris Sun

Nov 29, 2023 | soprissun.com | John Armstrong

I found myself giggling with the exhilaration of each steep, sinuous turn. We descended rapidly down a perfect ribbon of asphalt as if on a roller coaster. We had driven almost 3,000 vertical feet up from Italy’s Mediterranean Sea coast to hike the subalpine spine of the Ligurian Apennines. This hundred mile long mountain chain is one of three main Apennine Chains that thread down the boot of Italy all the way to Sicily.
Poetically Speaking makes mental health an accessible art

Nov 26, 2023 | thecrimsonwhite.com | John Armstrong

On Tuesday, Nov. 7, the Counseling Center and creative writing program held their first Poetically Speaking event in Gorgas Library. The event was held to help create a community for mental health issues and to show that writing is a valuable therapeutic tool. The focuses of the event were mental health and overcoming adversity. Attendees were treated with doughnuts and other refreshments, listened to poetry, and wrote their own. Afterward, they were given the option to share what they created.
How Dame Jacinda Ardern went from saint to witch

Nov 19, 2023 | 1news.co.nz | John Armstrong

Opinion: When journalist Michelle Duff wrote a biography of Jacinda Ardern in 2019, the term 'Jacindamania' had been coined but Covid 19 was unheard of. Over the next two years the world – and New Zealand – would change drastically and the young prime minister would be deified, then demonised. Duff, who last week released an updated version of her book, writes on how she believes imported culture wars helped to distort our political landscape – at the expense of women.
Northern Lights: Thank you, your support over the festive season is much appreciated

Oct 31, 2023 | thestar.co.uk | John Armstrong

At The Children’s Hospital Charity, we’re approaching our busiest time of year – Christmas!There are always lots of exciting things going on for us, but the festive season is when it really ramps up, and I’d like to tell you about all the ways you can get involved and support #TeamTheo this December. For many, Christmas is a time for giving, however, we understand that the cost of living crisis continues to affect people across the UK.