Almost the last NZ journalist on Twitter. Senior writer with The Press newspaper. These opinions are my own. Retweets are not endorsements.

Christchurch City, New Zealand
Joined December 2010
Philip Matthews retweeted
I'm hosting the last debate of the campaign, next week. It's a town hall, and you have the chance to ask questions. 1news.co.nz/2026/10/28/the-p…
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Philip Matthews retweeted
The conspiracy theorist right wing Voices for Freedom are spending up to half a million dollars to finance their campaign for a centre-right overhang. Ads, "millions of flyers" and a roadshow, all part of the campaign. buff.ly/FHYe4P6
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Philip Matthews retweeted
Wow! Trump is epically heckled in deep red Mississippi! “SHOVE THAT BALLROOM UP YOUR FAT ASS!!"
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FT’s report on Lula’s comeback says Flávio Bolsonaro’s “nine fingers” jab in the final debate, mocking the finger Lula lost in a factory accident at 17 while working nights, became a turning point. The attack let Lula draw a sharp contrast between his own working-class history and Bolsonaro’s background, helping shift momentum in the runoff.
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Philip Matthews retweeted
Warm congratulations to President Lula da Silva on securing a renewed mandate from the Brazilian people in today’s election. Building on our visit to Brasilia in March, New Zealand looks forward to expanding our cooperation with Brazil in the months and years ahead. -WP @LulaOficial 📸 Visit to Brazil, March 2026
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Philip Matthews retweeted
Ezra Klein: “Most Israeli Jews now see the world the way Netanyahu has long seen it. That is Netanyahu’s great victory. But it is matched by his great loss: Much of the world now sees Israel the way Gazans see it.” nytimes.com/2026/10/25/opini… via @NYTOpinion
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Philip Matthews retweeted
It's clearer than ever why it's so dangerous that Israel has a leader who is on trial for corruption: Netanyahu's future freedom depends on his political survival, and with his political survival currently in jeopardy, he is willing to provoke a resumption of war with Iran, and risk igniting a third Intifada in the West Bank.
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The way the constant imminent threat of a war with Iran that cld derail election coming from Iran or Israel or the US is being thrown around haphazardly is just sick- and the bottom line, Netanyahu and Trump have made it impossible to discern genuine threat from political spin
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The IDF chief of staff has effectively told/confirmed to the Israeli public that Netanyahu is trying to provoke a war with Iran for political survival.
חשיפה עכשיו במהדורה | עימות חסר תקדים בין הרמטכל לבין ראש הממשלה שהגיע לשיא או לשפל ביממה האחרונה הנושא ברקע: הסוגיה האיראנית וחשש של זמיר שנתניהו והדרג המדיני עלולים להוביל לתרחיש של מיסקלקולציה מול איראן רגע לפני הבחירות גורם ביטחוני: מדובר בפעולה שעלולה להוביל לעימות בזק מול איראן בעיתוי רגיש ודרמטי, ולייצר מיסקלקולציה גורמים בקיאים בפרטים: חשש של הדרג הצבאי מניסיון לנצל את הסוגיה האיראנית לתנופה פוליטית , טענה שגורמים מדיניים מכחישים וטוענים שמדובר בשקר של ממש כך או כך, 2 מקורות מספרים לי שזה הגיע לרמה שהיום בביקור בפלמחים האווירה בדיון הייתה עכורה עד מאוד בימים האחרונים זמיר קיבל איזושהי הנחיה מהדרג המדיני אבל ביקש דיון מעמיק לפני ביצוע הוא גם ביקש אסמכתאות חוקיות וחתומות של הדרג המדיני על המהלך בכיר ביטחוני: ההיסטוריה לא תשכח את התפקיד שמילא פה זמיר בימים האחרונים ובשורה התחתונה: עימות יוצא דופן בחריגות שלו בין זמיר לנתניהו, סביב הסוגיה באיראן, רגע לפני מועד הבחירות. נדגיש: כל הפרטים בידיעה הזו עברו את אישורה של הצנזורה הצבאית
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Philip Matthews retweeted
So much noise and so much confusion, and yet what a time for hope this is. Hope and hard work, that is, because despite appearances this election is not be about gangs and race. New Hopetown post on Substack today #nzpol simonwilsonhopetown.substack…
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Philip Matthews retweeted
“He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened up a Cheesecake Factory” — Obama
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Philip Matthews retweeted
A delight to partner with @tnyfrontrow on a few capsule film reviews this week (link below). And I rarely say this, but here's one to skip!
My friend and colleague @JustinCChang and I teamed up on a newsletter roundup of new releases; I have special enthusiasm for one film in the batch, Eleanor Coppola's absorbing and moving documentary Making Marie Antoinette: links.newyorker.com/e/evib?_…
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I am deeply fascinated by the modern right's insistence that "the elite" is a category that does not actually include the ultra wealthy who dominate society and dictate many of its laws, and is instead made up of socialist teachers, anti-genocide protestors, and "woke" baristas.
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Philip Matthews retweeted
Always good weather in that wonderful town at this time of the year (Hastings this photo is from, not Napier)
Nice day out in Napier
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Philip Matthews retweeted
Kerrin Leoni has resigned as a Labour candidate:
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Bro you fell in love with a computer because it called you smart
This quoted post is unavailable.
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Today we're thrilled to be publishing a new B-format edition of This Compulsion in Us by Tina Makereti. This is a beautifully written and deeply important book, which was the well-deserved winner of the 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Award for General Non-Fiction.
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Philip Matthews retweeted
[CAT PEOPLE] Each shot looks like an album cover for records you don't ever want to play. (1982)
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