On the day that 16 people were killed with brutal violence at Bondi Beach, 9 people were added to the death toll of brutal violence in Gaza. One fact is news that has reverberated globally for weeks. One fact means almost nothing to the world. One fact has seen politics and laws debated. The other will change nothing. One fact will be weaponised. One fact will be brushed aside.
There is a distinction between going out to eat, and being fed. The former, for me, is something active that you do as a diner – you might dress up, head out, and spend your hard-earned money at any one of the thousand restaurants that the city has to offer.
In the immediate aftermath of violent attacks, social media often fills the information vacuum before verified facts are available. That space is increasingly occupied by AI-generated deepfakes and manipulated “breaking news” content designed to mislead, inflame, and spread fear.
We speak with Jen Shields about the ideologically motivated, against all evidence, decision by the National coalition government to effectively ban puberty blockers specifically for trans children.
The New Zealand Government has been sitting on its hands when it comes to Palestine, leaving many wondering why it has abandoned its independent foreign policy along with its principles and robust support for international law.
The "leftist activist" who spent a decade working undercover for New Zealand police and intelligence
Transcript: 1/200 S2E149 - Sport NZ and Transgender Inclusion
This episode of 1/200 was recorded on July 26 released on July 27 2025
I was seriously disappointed to read a long article from Duncan Greive which discusses and quotes extensively from Sarah McBride's interview with Ezra Klein - one that generated extensive discussion amongst trans communities internationally a full month ago when it aired - and takes a similarly naive, centrist position along the lines of "how can we effectively argue and bargain for our rights while we compromise and allow disinformation campaigns to push the Overton window further right?"
We’re back for our first newsletter of 2026! All your progressive leaning news, commentary and actions in Aotearoa gathered in one place.
This may be the last newsletter for the year depending on who is around, but we’ll be back in 2026 to continue bringing you a range of links and events!
Kia ora all, welcome to the first issue of the (rebooted) 1/200 Common Sense newsletter. This newsletter aims to collate the important Aotearoa news of the previous week, and any upcoming events or actions across the motu for the next.
As the Omicron wave wanes worldwide, countries have been quick to declare COVID-19 officially endemic- the pandemic we are told is over.
In the 53 years since the term entered the lexicon, the social terrain of politics has radically changed. The median voter today is very different from the median voter of 1969.
As we settle into the current Red Light setting and as the cases of Omicron climb each day, the hospitality sector in Auckland has had its life support switched off.
The centre-left will fail to deliver for working-class people if it doesn't embrace universal basic services. We can only tackle the housing, inflation and inequality crises by decommodifying and guaranteeing the essentials of life for all.
Here are the ways working-class people fought back in 2021. There are many examples, I've only picked my favourites; the thing about something like a global pandemic is it exposes how the system works and whose labour makes the world go round
Simone hosts Jennifer Shields to discuss in depth the interim order regarding the puberty blocker ban, what led up to it and what the next steps might be.
We discuss the Manage My Health breach as of 5/01/2026, what could be verified, what has happened and what the consequences might be.
We attempt to identify a unifying thread on recent National government reforms in water and local government, alongside the RMA and now a new “mega ministry”.
New Zealand First is against the Regulatory Standards Act they just voted for. Maybe National is too. Judge Aitken spoke up against Winston Peters and is now in a kangaroo court process. Most schools in the country have committed to giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
If you're not involved in Māori politics, there's a good chance you haven't known what to make of the conflict in Te Pāti Māori. We spoke with Jack McDonald about the history of the Party, the underlying issues, and paths forward from here.
We speak with Jen Shields about the ideologically motivated, against all evidence, decision by the National coalition government to effectively ban puberty blockers specifically for trans children.
As the Gaza genocide and the invasion, apartheid and killings in Westbank continue, University Workers for Palestine (UWP) are renewing demands and strengthening actions to secure a BDS policy from Uni Saver, the preferred pension provider for universities across Aotearoa. We speak with spokesperson for UWP and Victoria University Senior lecturer Dr Amanda Thomas.
IPCA findings and criminal cases against top police figures are again revealing the rot at the heart of elite power in NZ. At the same time a new tranche of Epstein files are doing the same internationally.
As we await a ruling from the Human Rights Review Tribunal, Jen and Angela give us a rundown on what’s been happening during the hearings. Progressive populism, including trans rights, now seems a vote winner for left politicians in both the UK and US - how is the NZ left positioned to make the same moves?
New Zealand's 2 top economists* discuss Labour's first policy announcement this term - a Future Fund! Comparisons with other funds in NZ and overseas, debate over whether detail is important and most importantly... what is it for? Recorded on 24/10/25.
