Sam Sachdeva
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samsachdeva.bsky.social
Sam Sachdeva
@samsachdeva.bsky.social
1.2K followers 590 following 120 posts
Foreign affairs + more at Newsroom.co.nz, author of THE CHINA TIGHTROPE. @SamSachdevaNZ on the site formerly known as Twitter. Contact me securely via [email protected]
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Christopher Luxon and Donald Trump meet one on one for the first time, ahead of an Apec leaders' dinner in Gyeongju, South Korea
Reposted by Sam Sachdeva
New from me: Just eight of the Government's 17 Roads of National Significance have already seen costs blow out by $5.1 billion - before any shovels are even in the ground.

The full programme would cost $44-$54 billion on the latest numbers.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/23/5...
$5b-plus blowout for eight Roads of National Significance
The Government's 17 Roads of National Significance will cost it at least $44 billion – enough to rebuild Dunedin Hospital 23 times over. Marc Daalder reports.
newsroom.co.nz
Reposted by Sam Sachdeva
I wrote a (short!) piece in a newsletter for work about the use of generative AI to process and analyse submissions, sent it out, and then checked Newsroom only to see a (very good!) piece from @samsachdeva.bsky.social piece on the topic with more up-to-date numbers and a chat with the Clerk. #NZPOL
Parliament deluged by tsunami of submissions
Almost half of the select committee submissions since 1996 have come in this term of Parliament – creating headaches for MPs and staff alike. Sam Sachdeva reports.
newsroom.co.nz
Reposted by Sam Sachdeva
Learned that an anonymous outside expert on submersibles did an interview with the OceanGate Titan investigation, and they released a transcript, with all the names redacted. The first line of his first answer? "I'm sure you're familiar with my film Titanic."
A New Zealand ‘slave master’ and human trafficker is set to have two of his convictions quashed, after being caught up in a procedural bungle from the solicitor-general’s office. More @newsroom.co.nz:

newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/16/s...
'Slave master' to have some convictions quashed after solicitor-general bungle
Procedural flaws from Crown Law have affected another high-profile case, Newsroom can reveal.
newsroom.co.nz
Reposted by Sam Sachdeva
New: Climate Change Minister Simon Watts concedes the Government’s new methane target could result in outcomes not consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5C above preindustrial levels – a threshold mandated in New Zealand and international law.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/15/c...
Climate minister admits new target may breach global 1.5C goal
Climate Minister Simon Watts admitted the Government's new methane target may not be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5C.
newsroom.co.nz
In 2022, Selwyn mayor Sam Broughton won a third term with a 12,049-vote margin. Now, he's 11,341 votes behind mayor-elect Lydia Gliddon – pretty staggering change in fortunes.

Here's my pre-election @newsroom.co.nz piece on why Broughton was facing a tough battle: newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/06/t...
The growing pains shaping a Canterbury mayoral race
Selwyn's population is booming, and its economy is also holding up, so why is its three-term mayor facing a tough re-election battle?
newsroom.co.nz
Reposted by Sam Sachdeva
David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)
Well that's that then! Now you say it, I do vaguely recall the change
Could he try to run a 'Waihopai Ploughshares' (so to speak) defence? And what would the odds of success be? Slim to none, I would assume.
Did a deep-ish dive on the race for the mayoralty in Canterbury's Selwyn district, which raises some interesting questions about how councils handle rapid growth, the rates debate, and the relationship between central and local govt. More here: newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/06/t...
The growing pains shaping a Canterbury mayoral race
Selwyn's population is booming, and its economy is also holding up, so why is its three-term mayor facing a tough re-election battle?
newsroom.co.nz
Reposted by Sam Sachdeva
OpenAI employees are very excited about how well their new AI tool can create fake videos of people doing crimes and have definitely thought through all the implications of this
Reposted by Sam Sachdeva
I think the 'pragmatic' element (about which I hope the piece makes clear my feelings) is the argument that other countries recognising Palestine has made the situation in Gaza worse rather than better, and we're best to wait for some unknown time when the conditions for peace are better
From me this morning - Coalition’s Palestine cop-out puts pragmatism above principle: newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/28/c...
I can’t help but wonder how the officials at Mfat are feeling about the coalition’s decision on Palestine: we’ve seen officials in other countries their govts’ policy, and NZ is now a real outlier on the issue
Reposted by Sam Sachdeva
What are Eve's financial credentials though?
NZ First 'agreed to disagree' on the China trade deal in 2008 too - and Winston was foreign minister at the time! Confidence and supply deal rather than coalition, but still.
Reposted by Sam Sachdeva
Izquierda Derecha, by Juan Genovés, 1967, 📸 via @beysicc
Reposted by Sam Sachdeva
Post now deleted, more or less confirming it was a DM. Great opsec!