Author: Michael Swanson

OPINION: Michael Swanson. We vote every three years, and then, for most of us, democracy largely goes on without us. Most people find themselves watching from the sidelines as elected politicians (often heavily whipped along party lines, donor interests, and the noise of the news cycle) make decisions that shape our lives. It’s a system that works well enough, until it doesn’t. And increasingly, on the thorniest issues of our time (climate change, housing, constitutional reform) it feels like it doesn’t. With levels of trust in political institutions struggling, an option keeps popping up around the world that might help…

OPINION: Michael Swanson. Are most parties a little bit populist now? As New Zealand heads into the 2026 general election, the contrast between populism and pragmatism in political discourse has never been more stark. Voters are not just choosing parties, they are confronting competing visions of how policies should be shaped with one rooted in popular sentiment, the other in measured, evidence-based approaches. Understanding this tension is crucial, because it defines not just what policies get enacted, but the broader trajectory of the nation’s governance. Populism in New Zealand is not a new thing, nor is it always inherently a…

By Michael Swanson Should Labour extend an olive branch to The Opportunity Party? There’s a pretty strong case for such a deal, but who wins from such an arrangement? Six months out from the election, Labour finds itself in a familiar but uncomfortable position. Every poll shows Labour can’t govern without both the Greens and Te Pāti Māori. That’s a knife-edge coalition that requires three parties to stay disciplined, to avoid internal implosion, and to present a unified enough front to win over a sceptical “middle” New Zealand. If any one of those three legs wobbles, the whole table collapses. But what…