Your Daily Ten@10 - 2026/061

This is edition 2026/061 of the Ten@10 newsletter.

Hi all,

This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.

Enjoy!

1. Are Luxon & Co now doomed to liquidation?

Grant Duncan

• 🌍 The global energy crisis is blamed on conflict involving Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Iran, with disruption in the Strait of Hormuz impacting global trade and energy supplies.
• ⚠️ Iran has resisted threats from Trump and restricted shipping routes, though some countries have negotiated partial access to ease the situation.
• 🔥 The crisis is highly damaging for New Zealand’s government under Christopher Luxon, with falling poll numbers and worsening economic conditions.
• 📉 Rising cost of living, healthcare pressures, and declining economic forecasts are intensifying ahead of the November election.
• 📊 Economic outlook is deteriorating: growth forecasts have dropped, inflation is expected to rise, and unemployment may increase, creating a “stagflation”-like scenario.
• 🛢️ Comparisons are drawn to the 1973 oil shock, a turning point that led to long-term economic decline in New Zealand.
• 📉 New Zealand’s productivity issues are described as chronic, with decades of underperformance and no clear plan from major parties to reverse the trend.
• 🏛️ All major political parties agree change is needed but lack solutions capable of addressing a crisis of this scale, leaving the government largely in damage-control mode.
• 🗳️ Historical parallels suggest crises can trigger dramatic political shifts, as seen when Robert Muldoon defeated Bill Rowling after Norman Kirk’s death.
• 🔄 A modern analogy suggests a possible populist surge, with Winston Peters potentially capitalising on instability.
• 🧨 The crisis is expected to reshape the election, but any change in government is unlikely to significantly improve living standards due to global economic pressures.
• 💸 Labour and the Greens may propose spending that the weakened economy cannot sustain, while no party offers a convincing long-term productivity solution.
• 🔮 March is framed as a turning point in the election race, with Luxon’s political survival now more uncertain due to forces beyond his control.
• 🕊️ Calls for de-escalation contrast with increasingly extreme rhetoric from Trump, raising concerns about global stability and leadership.

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