New Zealand Listener

Editor Kirsty Cameron Chief Subeditor Geoff Cumming Managing Editor Ruth Brown Art Director Derek Ward Books Editor Mark Broatch Entertainment & Arts Editor Russell Baillie Digital Editor Dionne Christian Content Producer Louise Barnes Subeditors Richard Betts, Bevan Rapson Senior Designer Richard Kingsford Designer Ingrid Schümann Editorial contact listener@aremedia.co.nz Contributors this issue: Mark Amery, Steve Bolton, Roger Brooking, Russell Brown, Michael Cooper, Sue Copsey, Paulette Crowley, Mark Fryer, David Harvey, Michele Hewitson, Paul Little, Danyl McLauchlan, Veronika Meduna, Simon Morris, Nicky Pellegrino, Jeremy Rees, Graham Reid, Cathrin Schaer, Craig Sisterson, Chris Slane, Marc Wilson, Simon Wilson, Redmer Yska Chief Executive Officer Jane Huxley General Manager Stuart Dick Editorial Director Sarah Henry Head of Digital Melissa Walsh Senior Digital Content Producer Katie Delany Sales Director Claire Chisholm For advertising enquiries please contact…

Politicians of all persuasions tout their credentials for being tough on crime, including the current coalition government. It has brought back three strikes, boot camps, cracked down on gangs, and committed to increasing police numbers and prison capacity. In 2024, the prison population passed 10,000 and in mid-November, 2025 surged to nearly 11,000. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described this as a “good thing”. If governments really want to be tough on crime, instead of locking more people up, they should invest in interventions that reduce reoffending. In other words, we should address the drivers of crime. The drivers are socio-economic: poverty, dropping out of school, unemployment, cultural alienation, family dysfunction, child neglect and abuse and poor mental health, often exacerbated by alcohol and drugs. Dealing with these is truly tough…

What sheer joy it was to read the article by Nicola Saker (“Hoofing it”, January 10). I always wanted my own pony when I was a child growing up in Auckland, but it was not practical in the city, even back in the 1940s/50s. I read every story book about horses I could find. Does anyone else remember My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hara? This story of the pony club kids and their formidable commissioner is a gem. Thank you, Nicola. You got to live my childhood dream. Alison Kelso (Nelson) CUTTING EDGE Samanth Subramaniam (“Lost connection”, January 10) is incorrect in his assertion over cable cutting in the Baltic Sea. To date, just one cable has been cut. The crew of the vessel were arrested by the Swedish authorities…

“We’re getting a bearded dragon, and he went to a reptile expo in New Jersey.” “I love you, Ricky, but if you win, I get to accept the award on your behalf, and you are going to thank God and the trans community.” “See Timothée Chalamet? He was 3 when you last won.” “But what do you do when something terrible happens and a big group of people, including those who are running our country, tells you it didn’t?” “KFC where you order your chicken has mandatory two-factor authentication, but Manage My Health does not.” “Could it be that God was an extra-terrestrial?” “His partner is in heat, and the bachelor is pumping with testosterone. He needs to release his energy and show who’s boss, even if his sparring partner…

1. The hottest temperature ever recorded in NZ was 42.4°C in 1973. Where? ❑Ashburton ❑Ruatoria ❑Blenheim ❑Rangiora 2. Dr Drake Ramoray is a fictional character seen on which TV sitcom? ❑ Seinfeld ❑Friends ❑ Big Bang Theory ❑ Parks and Recreation 3. The Limpopo River does NOT flow through which country? ❑South Africa ❑Botswana ❑Namibia ❑Zimbabwe 4. The movie 10 Things I Hate About You is an adaptation of which Shakespeare play? ❑ Romeo and Juliet ❑The Taming of the Shrew ❑ The Winter’s Tale ❑ Much Ado About Nothing 5. K is the symbol for which chemical element? ❑Silver ❑Krypton ❑Sodium ❑Potassium 6. France has no territories in North America. ❑True ❑False 7. “Let’s kill all the lawyers” is a famous line from a work by whom? ❑Tom Stoppard…

For our Limerick Competition, No 126, we asked you to write a limerick on staying cool in the summer heat. FINALISTS: There once was a nudist named Ron Who adored the sun when it shone But starting to swelter He opted for shelter The sunscreen he swapped for aircon Paul Kelly, Palmerston North An umbrella may help you stay cool Or maybe a dip in a pool So whatever you do It’s all up to you So Slip Slop Slap is the rule Brian Smith, Nelson To stay cool I swim in the ocean While smeared to the gills in sun lotion Now diving for pāua Feels like a cool shower Enticing and all in slow motion Sybil Gregson, Wellington When the sun beats a mean centigrade Put a lid…