Ian Powell

A sinking heart over Palestine non-recognition decision After a period of political ‘game playing’ over making an announcement, insensitive given the tragic circumstances of the genocide in Gaza and increasing Palestinian expulsions on the West Bank, th…

Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses the decision of, and reaction to, the New Zealand government not to recognise the state of Palestine.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/10/01/a...

A sinking heart over Palestine non-recognition decision After a period of political ‘game playing’ over making an announcement, insensitive given the tragic circumstances of the genocide in Gaza and increasing Palestinian expulsions on the West Bank, th…

Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses the decision of, and reaction to, the New Zealand government not to recognise the state of Palestine.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/10/01/a...

Rhyming holocausts from the Herero in early 20th century to Gaza today From time to time people assert that history is repeating itself. I don’t necessarily agree, depending on how far one wants to drill down. However, history does rhyme a lot (echo a lot is another w…

Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses the rhyming blogs of the Herero in south-west Africa in the early 20th centuries and Gaza today.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/09/28/r...

He grew up under apartheid, and became our authority on race. Here's his view of NZ's Palestine stance Foreign affairs minister Winston Peters told the United Nations that New Zealand government would not officially recognise Palestinian statehood at this time.

Well said by Gregory Fortuin on disgraceful NZ government decision not to recognise Palestine as a state.

www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...

Growing Corporate Power and General Practice The increasing level of corporate ownership of general practices is a ‘below the radar’ growing concern within Aotearoa New Zealand’s health system, including many general practitioners and their p…

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the growing power of corporate ownership of general practices in New Zealand’s health system:

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/09/26/g...

Pae Ora Act amendments and Māori healthcare It is difficult to characterise the bill in the name of Minister of Health Simeon Brown which is going through the parliamentary process. It seeks to several varying amendments to the Pae Ora (Heal…

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ critically discusses proposed amendments to New Zealand’s health system legislation that directly affect Maori healthcare, including functions and the Iwi Maori Partnership Boards.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/09/23/p...

The Misrepresentation of Luddism Whenever the terms Luddism and Luddites are used they are invariably used in a negative or derogatory manner. Calling something Luddism and people Luddites is intended as an insult, sometimes force…

Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses Luddism as a positive and popular force, including in a historical and contemporary New Zealand context.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/09/19/t...

Health alert: Health Minister threatens patient safety What would I do as a health commentator and health systems blogger without the excellent daily (Monday-Friday) online coverage by NZ Doctor with its focussed and industrious journalists? The short …

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the threat to patient safety by proposed amendments to New Zealand legislation governing health regulatory authorities:

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/09/15/h...

‘For the love of god’; why say so much when saying so little? ‘For the love of God’ is a commonly voiced expression. Generally it involves a high level of frustration or exasperation. Often it also includes a call for something corrective to be done. This was…

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ critiques the NZ Medical Journal editorial by the Chair of Health New Zealand on the precarious state of our health system.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/09/06/f...

There is a plot Mr Luxon: Its ethnic cleansing of Palestinians based on biblical justification Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu has “lost the plot” and has condemned attacks on Gaza. It is among the strongest language the New Zealand leader has…

politicalbytes.blog/2025/08/29/t...

The threat to health professionals’ voice OPINION: A proposed change requiring political neutrality for senior health professionals would severely threaten existing rights to voice their concerns over patient safety and other issues.

Here is the link to my column in Stuff’s ‘The Post’ published today. It discusses the legislative amendment that threatens rights of health professionals to give public voice to their concerns (unfortunately paywalled):

www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3608...

Grog’s own country or Grog’s own health system? Richard Seddon is Aotearoa New Zealand’s longest prime minister (back then called premier). He assumed the position in 1893 and continued for over 13 years without losing an election until his deat…

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the secretive attempts by the alcohol industry to influence health policy on alcohol harm in New Zealand.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/08/21/g...

When the privatising rubber hits the climate change denial roads First a disclosure. I’m the co-owner of a plug-in hybrid car. It cost in the vicinity of $20,000 more than if it had been completely petrol fuelled. A key factor in the purchase decision was to mak…

Below is the link to my latest politics blog ‘Political Bytes’. It discusses the New Zealand government’s recent road user charges announcement in the context of climate change indifference (and denial) and privatisation.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/08/19/w...

Simeon Brown places target on patients' heads Opinion: The wrong targets in the wrong place will worsen the health system's inflexibility, writes Ian Powell.

My latest ‘Newsroom’ column discusses the implications and politics of the Government attempt to put its overhyped and simplistic health targets in New Zealand’s health system legislation.

newsroom.co.nz/2025/08/15/s...

Heart health care system “verge of collapse” a barometer of wider public hospital verging It has been said more than once that overcrowding in emergency departments is a barometer of how public hospitals as a whole are performing in Aotearoa New Zealand’s health system. It has now emerg…

Health system blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the reported heart healthcare system “verging on collapse” as a barometer for the state of New Zealand public hospitals in general.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/08/12/h...

The forgotten health professionals On 4 August Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report broke a story about North Shore Hospital having an entire ward of people with no medical reason to be there: Patients stuck in hospital ward. North Sh…

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the forgotten health professionals in the health system’s workforce – allied health professionals.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/08/09/t...

A poser for Labour Party: Tax wealth or tax capital gains Veteran political journalist Vernon Small’s latest regular paywalled column in Stuff’s Sunday Star Times (3 August) has brought to life a subject that by its very nature can put many people to slee…

Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses the debate within the New Zealand Labour Party over whether to base its tax reform policy for next year’s election on taxing capital gains or wealth.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/08/06/a...

Flawed and Predetermined: Postscript on Waikato medical school decision The business case used to justify the Government’s decision to establish a third medical school at Waikato University “…seemed to have a predetermined outcome: to favour the Waikato medical school …

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ further discusses, and drills down into, the Government’s decision to approve the business case for a third medical school at Waikato University.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/08/04/f...

The secret diary of .. the FBI in NZ We intercept comms of the FBI director during his visit to NZ

Witty satire by Steve Braunias on the secretive establishment of a FBI office in New Zealand:

newsroom.co.nz/2025/08/02/t...

New Waikato Medical School: Poor process, ‘chumocracy’ and ‘cosyism’ means likely poor outcome On 21 May I was introduced to two new words (always a moment of light excitement for me) by Dr Bryce Edwards, Director of the newly established Integrity Institute which publishes regular Integrity…

Health system blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the political cosy relationships that shaped the decision-making over New Zealand’s third medical school.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/07/26/n...

David Seymour and the political left If there was a ‘most prolific blogger while still being consistently thought-provoking’ award it would be hard to beat Bomber (Martyn) Bradbury and his The Daily Blog (TDB). His writing is turbo-ch…

Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses conviction rightwing politician David Seymour and how the ‘political left’ might respond.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/07/22/d...

Otaihanga Second Opinion Visit the post for more.

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses who benefits from the Government’s decision to outsource (privatise) cherry-picked planned surgery in New Zealand’s health system:

Who benefits from outsourcing planned surgery: follow the funding
otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com

‘Slash and burn’ increases poor health system decision-making: witness maternity and gynaecology In Aotearoa New Zealand’s health system there are 36 branches of vocational (specialist) medicine registered by the Medical Council. These are called ‘scopes of practice’ which allow doctors to wor…

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses how ‘slash and burn’ impacts on health system decision-making in the context of a controversy over planned maternity bed cuts at Wellington Hospital.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/07/09/s...

Will Govt impose a new Levy on suffering Health NZ empire? Comment: Commissioner Dr Lester Levy still seems to believe he will be reappointed board chair – but that's because he thinks it should happen. His plans for Te Whatu Ora may be a bust, writes Ian Pow...

My latest ‘Newsroom’ column discusses the restructuring the restructuring of the restructure that create Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora); ie, restructuringitis.

newsroom.co.nz/2025/07/04/w...

How to justify 400,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza: Ask ‘Zelda’ I have published three previous blog posts on Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza by means of genocide. Ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank is also occurring al…

This post of politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses New Zealand’s need to respond to genocide in Gaza in light of alarming data on the actual Palestinian death rate.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/07/02/h...

Crony capitalism On 21 November 2021 Winston Peters posted on X (Twitter) that New Zealand has a government that “…has an unhealthy penchant for crony capitalism and protecting their mates”. This f…

Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses crony capitalism and where it fits in and doesn’t in a New Zealand context:

politicalbytes.blog/2025/06/24/c...

Follow the money – it's enough to buy surgeons tropical cruises Analysis: By tracing where the funding goes, we'll see whether Government health reforms benefit regular doctors, nurses and patients, or private providers, writes Ian Powell.

‘Newsroom’ has published my latest column which discusses ‘follow the money’ (aka ‘follow the health funding’) to understand the Government’s health policy.

newsroom.co.nz/2025/06/13/f...

Integrity Briefing: The Post Profile – Why Lobbyists Are Running Scared Today, The Post published an extensive profile of The Integrity Institute, written by politics reporter Kelly Dennett.

This is an insightful piece by Bryce Edwardes on corporate lobbying including differentiating from public advocacy.

theintegrityinstitute.substack.com/p/integrity-...

The disgrace of the hospice care funding scandal In the referendum on assisted dying in which it was voted in by a decisive majority (65%) in 2020, I voted against it. This was primarily because much of the argument in support seemed to me to cen…

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the tipping point of the funding crisis facing hospice care in New Zealand:

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/06/11/t...

Postscript on Ethnic Cleansing, Genocide and New Zealand Recognition of Palestine My last Political Bytes post (28 May) discussed why New Zealand should officially recognise the state of Palestine: New Zealand should recognise Palestinian state. The heading I gave the post was R…

Below is the link to my latest post of my ‘Political Bytes’ blog. It is a postscript to my previous post on ethnic cleansing through genocide in Gaza discussing Jewish opposition to Israel’s war and the ‘two-state’ solution.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/06/04/p...