The Bull Ring

𝔽𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕘𝕠 𝕥𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪: ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕥 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕔𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕕 𝕝𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝔽𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤 𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕖 ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕’𝕤 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘 ℂ𝕆𝕍𝕀𝔻 𝕝𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕟, 𝕚𝕥𝕤 "𝕘𝕠 𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕕, 𝕘𝕠 𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕪" 𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕒𝕔𝕙 𝕤𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕤, 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕖𝕕 𝕤𝕠𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕥𝕪, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕝𝕖𝕗𝕥 𝕒 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕩 𝕝𝕖𝕘𝕒𝕔𝕪 𝕠𝕗 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕤. F ive years ago, on March 25, 2020, New Zealand entered its first nationwide lockdown in response to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic.  This marked a historic moment for the nation of five million, as then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a strict Alert Level 4 lockdown, urging citizens to stay home and act swiftly to prevent the virus from taking hold as it had overseas.  At that point, New Zealand had just 102 confirmed cases and no deaths, yet the government’s decision to "go hard and go early" set the tone for what would become one of the w...

ℙ𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕤 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕥 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕠𝕗 ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕖𝕔𝕙 𝕎𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕟 ℙ𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕗𝕚𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕖𝕝𝕪 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕥 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕖𝕔𝕙, 𝕔𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞 𝕗𝕒𝕤𝕔𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕤, 𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕤𝕦𝕡𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤, 𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕨𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕙. W inston Peters’ reaction to protesters disrupting his State of the Nation speech, at the James Hay Theatre in Christchurch was a vivid showcase of his combative political style.  The New Zealand First leader and Deputy Prime Minister faced heckling—possibly tied to his recent U.S. trip or domestic stances—and responded with biting force, reportedly calling the interrupters “left-wing fascists” and “communist, fascist, anti-democratic losers.”  Rather than sidestepping, Peters seized the moment, turning dissent into a platform to reinforce his narrative and rally his audience. . Additional Reading: 𝔸𝕟?...

𝕌𝕊 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕠𝕜𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕤 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕙𝕒𝕝𝕗 𝕒 𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕞𝕚𝕘𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕤 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕠𝕗 ℍ𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕥 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕠𝕜𝕖 𝕝𝕖𝕘𝕒𝕝 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕙𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕠𝕗 ℂ𝕦𝕓𝕒𝕟𝕤, ℍ𝕒𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕤, ℕ𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕦𝕒𝕟𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕍𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕫𝕦𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕤, 𝕤𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞 𝕦𝕡 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕡𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕕𝕖𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕒 𝕞𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕙. T he order applies to about 532,000 people from the four countries who came to the United States since October 2022.  They arrived with financial sponsors and were given two-year permits to live and work in the US.   Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said they will lose their legal status on April 24, or 30 days after the publication of the notice in the Federal Register. . Additional Reading: ℂ𝕒𝕟𝕒𝕕𝕒’𝕤 𝔹𝕠𝕪𝕔𝕠𝕥𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕌𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤: 𝔸 ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟...

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕔 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕒𝕥 𝕙𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕄𝕒𝕩 ℝ𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕓𝕣𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕖 𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕦𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕨𝕖 𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕓𝕖𝕪𝕠𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟’𝕤 𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥, “𝕨𝕖 𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕖𝕒𝕤 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕦𝕤”. I  care little for the mere capitalist.” Such were the stark words of John Ballance, newly elected prime minister in 1891, as he faced down parliamentary criticism of his economic policy.   He told the House: "I care not if dozens of large landowners leave the country. For... the prosperity of the colony does not depend on those classes.  It depends upon ourselves, upon the rise of our industries and upon markets being secured in other countries, and not upon any such fictitious things as large capitalists or large landowners remaining in or leaving the colony.”   History, as they say, doesn’t repeat but it does rhyme.  And it’s hard not to hear echoes of that century-ol...

ℝℕℤ 𝕥𝕠 𝕣𝕦𝕟 𝕟𝕖𝕨 𝕤𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕤 ℝ𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕠 ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕚𝕤 𝕝𝕒𝕦𝕟𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℝℕℤ-ℝ𝕖𝕚𝕕 ℝ𝕖𝕤𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕙 ℙ𝕠𝕝𝕝 𝕚𝕟 𝔸𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕝 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟝, 𝕣𝕖𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕖𝕨𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕓-ℝ𝕖𝕚𝕕 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕝, 𝕥𝕠 𝕘𝕒𝕦𝕘𝕖 𝕡𝕦𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕔 𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕤 𝕪𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕪, 𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝟙𝟘𝟘𝟘 𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕨𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨𝕤. R NZ is launching a new political poll, building on the former Newshub-Reid Research Poll, which ran successfully from 2009 to 2023.   RNZ chief news officer Mark Stevens said political polls were a way to gauge public sentiment within the election cycle. . Related: 𝔸𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 ℙ𝕠𝕝𝕝 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕡𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕘𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 ℙ𝕠𝕝𝕝: 𝕃𝕖𝕗𝕥 𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕔 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞 𝕘𝕠𝕧𝕥 𝕒𝕤 ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕤 ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕧𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕘𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥...

ℙ𝕠𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕪𝕤𝕚𝕤: 𝔾𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕙𝕚𝕥𝕤 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕕 𝕝𝕠𝕨 𝔸𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕠𝕒 ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕'𝕤 𝕘𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕙𝕚𝕥 𝕒 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕕-𝕝𝕠𝕨 𝟜.𝟚/𝟙𝟘 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕖𝕓𝕣𝕦𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟝 𝕀𝕡𝕤𝕠𝕤 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕝, 𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕟𝕗𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟. 𝔼𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕔, 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕙, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕤 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕚𝕤𝕥, 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝕕𝕖𝕓𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕪 𝕗𝕦𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥, 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝-𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕔𝕠𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟’𝕤 𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕓𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪. T he New Zealand government's unprecedented low rating of 4.2 out of 10 in the Ipsos Issues Monitor survey, conducted from February 24 to March 2, 2025, signals a deepening public discontent.  This score, the lowest since Ipsos began tracking in mid-2017, represents a statistically significant decline from 4.7 in October 2024, with 41% of respondents assigning a rating of 3 or below.  . Rel...