Big shots in the 'burbs

The election hoardings are up, the game is on, promises are being made. The main parties are roadbuilding. Winston Peters has a cunning plan: as the nation's handbrake and culture warrior, his new hill to die on will be the ladies' loo.

- Charlotte Grimshaw 

In mangrovian Auckland where I grew up, locals voice their customary demand: tax relief. Tax cuts stimulate their economy, they argue, and the money saved goes on bare essentials including, most obviously, holidays in Mäui. Now Maui has gone up in flames, thoughts will turn. If other islands are boring and O'ahu is ratcheting up prices, will folk flirt with radicalism? Perhaps they should pay no taxes at all?

When I was young, my best friend's father belonged to the Values Party. Every time this dreadlocked old bore tried to lecture me about the environment, I told him crisply that I did not care. I didn't anticipate the extent to which I would care in later years. These days I'm scandalised by our lack of progress.