A genuinely inspiring story about political leaders getting huge things done

MTAF Weekend Omnibus

Hello! This is the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the week.

Here’s what you may have missed.

Last Sunday’s column had a genuinely inspiring story about political leaders getting huge things done in the face of culture wars and conservative resistance. Readers told me this should be shared widely so now it’s free to all to read.

They have just completed — and I’m now quoting our source, Will Stancil of Minnesota — what is probably the most productive session anywhere in the country since probably the New Deal: sweeping reforms across every area of life.

Monday’s edition was about the trashing of the housing accord and what we stand to lose

Imagine if life in the city were as easy as that stroll to the store when you're at the bach.

No commute, no slow death of the spirit in gridlock, no slog of a drive to the supermarket for groceries, to the schools for the kids, to Mitre 10, to the mall, to all of the rest of that life-on-the-rack.

This is the beautiful promise of densification, intensification, remaking the rules to enable people to live together in closer, more convenient proximity. You can opt out of all that grief because with intensification there will be no need to get into a car and schlep across two suburbs to Pak'n’Save. It will become possible for you to walk, or bike to get most things you need, just like you’re on your summer holiday at the beach.

Tuesday contained confected drama.

Wednesday was about what might be in store for Christopher Luxon, and why.

The Stations of the Cross, as all of us know from our devout and Godly ways, is a series of fourteen stations that depict the final hours in the story of Christ our Lord - appearing before Pilate, shouldering the wooden cross, whistling the Monty Python tune, so on and so forth.

I wonder if such a moment might be at hand for the leader of the opposition. The Passion of the Chris, if you will. Except, when they roll back the stone, there will be not an empty tomb, there will be Nicola of Marsden, holding speech notes and a clicker for the Powerpoint.

I might be completely mistaken. In a few months’ time he may be Prime Minister. But from here on in, I've decided to designate any report on his movements a Station of the Chris.

Thursday’s edition was about the flooding relief.

And Friday’s quiz covered the big issues of the week including Wayne Brown at the window, David Seymour being an investment sage and the absolute best sports story you will read this year.