Wellington was hit with severe flooding Monday this week, with little warning and widespread damage. A ($100k) mayoral recovery fund has been created, and a red and yellow-sticker wave is expected as the city picks up the pieces.
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Luxon has again been subject to another ‘coup’ rumour, with leaks to the press announcing at most 2 weeks before action against him. Luxon was 40 minutes late to a press conference on Friday, before fending off questions about him allegedly ghosting the National whip and saying he doesn’t need to check if the National caucus has his support.
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Foreign Minister Peters visited Washington this week, meeting with top US officials like Marco Rubio to discuss the NZ-US relationship, the war on Iran, critical minerals, and the Pacific. Peters refused to comment on Trump’s threat hours before the meeting to annihilate the entirety of Iranian civilisation.
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The ongoing war on Iran and the wider economic effects are continuing to be felt in New Zealand, as the conflict seems to prolong if not worsen. Despite a NATO statement listing New Zealand as one of 22 countries “coming together” to “implement [Trump’s] vision” of opening the Strait of Hormuz, the government says it has not made any commitment to the illegal war so far.
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As the Israeli-US war on Iran continues and oil prices continue to skyrocket, concerns about New Zealand’s domestic supply continue to grow. Gas stations have begun to run out more regularly, and the government has rolled out a Level 1-4 plan ranging from “Minor” to “Severe” in the case of further disruption.
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The economic impacts of the Israel-US war on Iran continue to be felt in New Zealand, with more concern over how fuel prices could impact New Zealand’s economy in the coming weeks (or months).
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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, the main story this week has been the US-Israel war on Iran and the subsequent Iranian strikes on Israel and US assets in the region. The domestic response from the coalition government has been marked by a muddled endorsement from Luxon at a press conference earlier this week, and fears that a prolonged war could greatly affect the New Zealand economy through energy and supply chain disruption.
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The coalition government announced on Monday nationwide plans to give police the power to issue "move on" orders, forcing rough sleepers and beggars out of public spaces with the threat of a $2,000 fine or 3 months prison.
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Housing Minister Chris Bishop has announced a long-rumoured U-turn on Auckland's upzoning policy after pressure from Cabinet, slashing the number of dwellings Auckland Council must plan for from a (potential) 2 million down to 1.6 million.
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This week Australia was rocked by protests against the state visit of Israeli president Isaac Herzog, with Australia's new anti-protest laws being tested and a police response that is now being investigated by the NSW cop watchdog.
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Waitangi Day fell on Friday this year, with a rough reception for the coalition parties at Te Tii marae. Luxon attended after skipping last year, trying to brush off heckles and accusations that the government is "anti-Maori".
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Common Sense Newsletter for 25/01/2026
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We’re back for our first newsletter of 2026! All your progressive leaning news, commentary and actions in Aotearoa gathered in one place.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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