Opinion
John Roughan: Final reflections on ‘doing my bit’
A final column after 27 years, a last call for teachers to stop striking.
Latest from John Roughan
Stories and analysis from The Northern Express Herald.
John Roughan reflects on what we have lost with Jacinda Ardern’s departure
A look at Jacinda Ardern's legacy
John Roughan: decision on Three Waters needed to prevent regret in October
Co-governance is just part of the plan to remove water infrastructure from accountability
John Roughan: We need commonsense after the rugby coach debacle and farce
NZ Rugby chose the right man as coach but the arrangements for the hand-over are lacking
John Roughan: Govt is scared of upcoming elections, not cost of living
We need a strong government that advises saving, not spending.
John Roughan: Is the Govt’s about-face post-cyclone or pre-election?
There's been a change in leadership, but is it one of substance?
John Roughan: We need to see the scale of the disaster
When you can see the boundary of a disaster it becomes easier to deal with it.
John Roughan: We need to be proactive in maintaining infrastructure
John Roughan fears the storms will stop the Government’s retreat from Three Waters
John Roughan: Seymour should be lauded for embracing te reo
The Māori language will not be secure until it is spoken on both sides of politics.
John Roughan: We need to learn to live with climate change
Auckland has never had a January as wet and never a day like last Friday.
John Roughan: Jacinda’s goodness will be a hard act to follow
Politics aside, Jacinda Ardern was a fine model of a modern, young female political leader
John Roughan: Sports events need more focus, less spectacle
Sports events are becoming too much like a circus for John Roughan
John Roughan: When will this Harrying of the royals end?
I’m picking Harry’s childishness will save him in the final act
John Roughan: A few more Covid cases arriving from China will not matter much
Tourism and economic development post-pandemic good reasons to encourage travel.
John Roughan: 'We’ve had a year of valour'
War on Ukraine and post-lockdown inflation have been met with valiant responses.
John Roughan: A week of political corrections
The irony is that privatisation is not very different from what the Government is doing.
John Roughan: I vote for Dominic Abelen as New Zealander of the Year
We can declare our pride in him and honour the risks he took for the sake of democracy
John Roughan: The young deserve their say in running the country
The young who vote are likely to be thinking voters. I’d like to boost their numbers.
John Roughan: Another bridge would be a visual disaster
OPINION: A second bridge would unbalance Auckland - in more ways than one.
John Roughan: There’s more to inflation than wages
OPINION: Treating inflation as simply a cost of living problem does more harm than good.
John Roughan: Transport planners need to work with, not against, the people
OPINION: Public transport doesn't mean mass transport.
John Roughan: Govt needs to take lead in fighting inflation, the economic cancer
OPINION: Tackling inflation can't be left entirely to central banks.
John Roughan: Wayne Brown may be the bull in the china shop of NZ’s assets
OPINION: When I voted for Wayne Brown I had no illusions about his economics.
John Roughan: Political sea change shows how the wind is blowing
OPINION: Wayne Brown's first week in office has been a breath of fresh air.
John Roughan: Stop spouting idealism against Putin's nuclear threat
Will Putin break the unspoken nuclear code?
John Roughan: It's time true local government is revived
OPINION: I'm holding high hopes Wayne Brown can change the Auckland Council.
John Roughan: A new lease of life for royalty
"Grief" is not a sufficient word to sum up the feeling around the royal funeral.
John Roughan: King Charles needs to sign off on petulance
OPINION: The Treaty of Waitangi was made with the Crown, not the state.
John Roughan: Why Wayne Brown will be getting my vote for mayor
OPINION: To believe in a car-less vision of the future you have to want to believe it.
John Roughan: I admired the Queen's stiff upper lip - especially after Diana died
OPINION: One of my few regrets of 50 years in journalism is that I never met the Queen.
John Roughan: Why we need a new Spring public holiday
OPINION: Spring would be the natural time for a seasonal celebration.
John Roughan: Is helping Kiwibank a political step too far?
OPINION: Kiwibank has been given the kiss of death.