What if New Zealand’s Government had stood firm in 2024 and upheld the Smokefree Generation law? This counterfactual explores a world where leadership meant protecting children, honouring Te Tiriti, and resisting corporate pressure. A powerful imagined future, one where clean air, public health and tino rangatiratanga were chosen over political convenience.

In March 2024, New Zealand's coalition Government repealed the Smokefree Generation law, a groundbreaking policy aimed at ending youth tobacco addiction. This article uncovers the political backroom deals, corporate lobbying, and devastating impact of that decision – especially on Māori communities. A searing indictment of profit-driven policy and the human cost of political convenience.

Imagine if New Zealand treated its freshwater as taonga, not just trade. This counterfactual piece explores a world where the Government enacts bold reforms to the Overseas Investment Act -making water extraction subject to sustainability tests, iwi consent, and community benefit. Forestry gains real stewardship standards. The result? Aotearoa reclaims environmental sovereignty, balances investment with intergenerational wellbeing, and builds a legacy worth protecting.

In a move that defies public sentiment and ecological logic, the New Zealand Government is scrapping protections that once shielded our freshwater and forests from foreign exploitation. Associate Finance Minister David Seymour’s changes to the Overseas Investment Act will allow faster approvals for water bottling and loosen forestry safeguards — all in the name of global competitiveness. But who benefits when Aotearoa’s aquifers are up for grabs? This satirical article explores the consequences with humour, sharp insight, and local voices who’ve lived the fallout.

In a bold new chapter of local government reform, the New Zealand Government claims to be handing power back to councils, while quietly tightening its grip. This satirical analysis exposes the contradictions, confusion, and condescension at the heart of recent announcements. From hollow funding promises to bureaucratic finger-wagging, it's devolution in name and centralisation in practice.

Twitter used to be where thought leaders and meme lords met in a chaotic but compelling digital town square. Today, under Elon Musk’s leadership, it’s morphed into something darker, a rage-fuelled revenue machine where progressive voices are collateral damage. In this personal piece, I explain why I’m logging off, not because I’ve stopped caring, but because I care too much.

What if New Zealand chose justice over abandonment in its climate adaptation plan? This hopeful counterfactual explores a visionary policy shift, where the Government backs vulnerable communities with fair relocation support, honouring manaakitanga and collective responsibility.

In 2046, as climate disasters worsen, the New Zealand government plans to end all property buyouts for homes affected by floods or sea-level rise. This satirical analysis from RegenerationHQ exposes the policy’s cruel logic, warns of future ghost towns, and argues for collective responsibility in the face of climate breakdown.

What if New Zealand’s post-2023 government chose collaboration over chaos? This counterfactual explores a political future where reform was done with care, not vengeance. From strengthening Select Committees to preserving the Smokefree Generation policy, this imagined timeline offers a hopeful blueprint for steady, regenerative governance.

In post-2023 New Zealand, democracy feels less like a system and more like a demolition derby. Over 20 major reforms have been reversed in under a year, public consultation has become performative, and consensus-building is out the window. Wrecking Ball Politics pulls no punches in this satirical but sobering review of where our governance is heading – and what it’s costing us.

Twitter used to be where thought leaders and meme lords met in a chaotic but compelling digital town square. Today, under Elon Musk’s leadership, it’s morphed into something darker, a rage-fuelled revenue machine where progressive voices are collateral damage. In this personal piece, I explain why I’m logging off, not because I’ve stopped caring, but because I care about civility and robust debate.

When MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp passed away, Aotearoa mourned a rising leader in kaupapa Māori politics. But Prime Minister Luxon’s decision not to attend her tangi raised eyebrows across the motu. In this compelling commentary, we explore what it means when a leader fails to show up and why presence, not platitudes, is what true leadership demands.

New Zealand has officially removed wellbeing from its public finance law.
In a move framed as “fiscal clarity,” the Government has discarded frameworks that considered mental health, child poverty, and social cohesion in Budget decisions. Critics say we’ve lost more than a policy - we’ve lost the point of it all.

New Zealand has officially removed wellbeing from its public finance law.
In a move framed as “fiscal clarity,” the Government has discarded frameworks that considered mental health, child poverty, and social cohesion in Budget decisions. Critics say we’ve lost more than a policy - we’ve lost the point of it all.

When Hobson’s Pledge calls National MP Erica Stanford "woke" for including basic Treaty obligations in an education bill, it's not just laughable, it’s terrifying. This satirical blog unpacks the far-right nostalgia, racial paranoia and global echo chamber fuelling the attack. If this is what “one law for all” looks like, it’s time to rewrite the rules.

Welcome to New Zealand - Land of Ethical Investment or Quiet Privilege?

Our “Active Investor Plus” visa claims to welcome values-aligned capital. But what it really offers is a pathway to nationhood for the wealthy, without the service, contribution, or scrutiny we demand from everyone else. A scathing look at the golden visa scheme that tells billionaires: bring your money, get the view, no questions asked.

Christopher Luxon says his faith is personal, not political. Yet his government’s policies tell a different story, one of budget cuts, social neglect, and rising hardship. In this sharp and confronting piece, we ask: what would Jesus actually do and why does this government do the opposite?

What if a New Zealand Prime Minister actually governed according to the teachings of Jesus? This powerful reflection explores a visionary shift in leadership - one that replaces austerity with abundance and spin with sincerity. A heartfelt, godless endorsement of policies rooted in justice and compassion.

What starts as a simple pizza night quickly unravels into a sharp satire of New Zealand’s energy policy, as one man’s hunt for a gas bottle leads him to a startling conclusion - Shane Jones may be the country’s last viable gas field. A must-read for anyone who’s tired of empty bottles and even emptier rhetoric.

In a surprising pivot toward environmental integrity, the New Zealand Government has announced full membership in the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA), extending its offshore exploration ban and committing to ending new onshore permits. With investment in clean energy, binding decommissioning laws, and strong international positioning, this marks a bold step toward a more sustainable and sovereign Aotearoa.