Steve Braunias sat through the trial of Hakyung (Jasmine) Lee who was accused of murdering her two children.
Her insanity defence was undermined by the fact that she bought the black plastic bags she used to wrap the bodies *before* she drugged the children, proving premeditation.
This would be funnier if it wasn't so accurate. Steve Braunias on "The secret diary of . . . The GDP disaster".
For all the kiwis who almost threw up last week after seeing Paddy Gower's fawning piece on Amanda Luxon, Steve Braunias brings some much needed perspective.
"The Secret Diary of .. Paddy and Amanda
In which Patrick Gower finds wisdom in the teachings of Amanda Luxon"
He really nails both of them.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/04/19/the-secret-diary-of-paddy-and-amanda/
Braunias wrote a preview of Lundy's parole on Thursday. While it's a decent summary of what led to this point, for me it's notable that this is Steve Braunias' last column for the Herald after ten years.
I've read some of Steve's books & seen him speak a few times. Nobody in NZ reports trials quite like him. He weaves observation with fact & tells compelling stories. I hope we see more of his work in other media.
(Probably paywalled for some people):
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/a-home-for-convicted-murderer-mark-lundy-steve-braunias/6JZGXW5GXFAC7B75UOJUIBYMKE/
2/2
Steve Braunias with "The Secret Diary of .. the Labour Gang".
"A cold wind came down from the mountain range of the Sierra Thorndons and swept through the empty main street of Labour City."
This sums up Labour's current lethargy perfectly.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/10/05/the-secret-diary-of-the-labour-gang/
Some classic Steve Braunias -- "The Secret Diary of .. David Seymour"
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/08/24/the-secret-diary-of-david-seymour/
Steve Braunias -- " The Secret Diary of .. Shane Reti"
-- "The Minister of Health is angry with the performance of the 12th level of management in the health sector – patients".
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/08/03/the-secret-diary-of-shane-reti/
Bob LeFridge 
