All nations have shadows; some acknowledge them. For others they shape their image in uncomfortable ways.
Read MoreOpening Pandora’s American Box
Economy
A New World Order?
Does the US need to strike a grand bargain with like-minded countries to pool their efforts? What does this tell us about today’s global politics?
Read MoreAfter Brexit?
Beethoven is a New Zealander
The National Library is still disposing books from the nation’s heritage.
Read MoreDesigning For End Users.
Far too often designers forget the purpose of the exercise is to communicate.
Read MoreRedisorganising the Health System – yet again.
Implementing the New Zealand Health and Disability System review not only involves major technical problems but creates fascinating political tensions.
Read MoreSinful or Harmful?
We need to change public policy if our aim is to minimise the harm from drugs.
Read MoreTransformation or Progress?
Why this government will not be transformative; do we want it to be?
Read MoreAs Safe As Houses?
Stein’s law says that if something cannot go on forever, it wont. But does a speculative bubble matter? The cryptocurrency bubble can be left to itself (tax evasion and criminal transactions aside). Why shouldn’t we do the same for housing?
Read MoreSuffer the Children
Are we reducing child poverty by as much as is needed to reach the targets set by the government under the Child Poverty Reduction Act?
Read MoreWinston’s Legacy
The future for an effective centre party in New Zealand?
Read MoreKindness and Samfundssind
How we approached the threat of Covid tells us about possibilities for the future ways.
Read MoreWhere Does the Media Stand on the Political Spectrum?
A recent study suggests most are near the centre.
Read MoreYes Minister.
What it is like to be a new Minister
Read MoreThe Ideal and the Reality for a New MP
Being an MP is not quite what you think.
Read MoreDo Landslides Change the Landscape in the Long Run?
It was easy for election night commentators to use the ‘landslide’ trope to describe Labour’s winning of the 2020 election. But the historical record suggests that such landslides may not last long.
(The image is of Abbotsford after its landslide and thirty years later — Otago Daily Times.)
Read MoreDo Elections Deliver What We Want?
MMP may deliver a parliament which reflects us, but frequently the government does not.
Read MoreEconomic Resilience or Policy Brilliance?
he economy has been through a traumatic experience. Prospects look sobering.
Read MoreWhat a Performance
The Covid Crisis provides insights into how critical global connectedness has become to our lives.
Read MorePREFU: The State of Government Accounts
‘The Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update’ (PREFU) tells us something about the future of the Public Sector but it requires careful analysis to assess how it is going.
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