Is Len Brown planning to blot out the sun?

An artist’s impression of what the Auckland city skyline could look like under the Unitary Plan  Community and heritage groups are predicting a time of darkness, plagues of boils, and rivers flowing with blood, unless the Auckland Council makes substantial changes to its draft Unitary Plan. The Auckland Unitary Plan will allow developers to construct enormous multi-storey…

Some advice, please

Or maybe I should stay home and do some painting Hi readers I need your advice on something. It will only take a moment of your time, and your feedback could make all the difference. I’m thinking of going out tomorrow morning and shooting a bunch of people. When the cops catch me and charge…

Ask John

Herald columnist John Roughan is here to answer all your tricky health questions. Dear John I have a problem. I hope you can help me. Recently I haven’t been feeling well, and I seem to be getting worse.  Just the other day I was reading the Saturday newspaper, and I felt a sudden wave of…

Why the Regulatory Impact Statement was so heavily redacted

There’s actually a very good reason. Read on: DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK and DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK DEMOCRACY…

Sherlock Shearer?

In Parliament on Thursday during his Budget speech, John Key likened David Shearer and Dr Russel Norman to Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson in the famous Conan-Doyle novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. It seems that John Key is so impressed by David Shearer’s powers of deduction and razor-sharp mind, that he cannot help but…

Labour responds to "Devil-Beast" claim

Labour leader and diabolical master of puppets, David Shearer Labour Party MPs have rubbished claims by John Key during his Budget speech that Labour are the “Devil-Beast”.The Prime Minister made the comments during a fiery debate over Bill English’s budget. “It will be about National versus the Devil-Beast”, Mr Key said of the 2014 election. “I know…

The 2013 Budget: live updates

Tune in here for up-to-date coverage of the big event. I’ll be updating this page all afternoon. 1:32 pmThat was a pleasant enough lunch.1:57 pm  Tremendous excitement is building, as speculation mounts that Sean “Diddy” Coombs may be joining the cast of Downton Abbey. 1:59 pm I am scratching now. 2:07 pm Bill English is…

It’s that day

Today is a big day for our news media. They will be gearing up for a huge effort, so expect to hear only one major news story today.On this day the attention of the news media will be focused on the efforts of one person. What will that person reveal? What effect will it have…