The Public Finance Act is one of those boring statutes which shapes the nation’s wellbeing.
Read MoreFeatures
Have We Abandoned the Egalitarian Society?
Inequality is not confined to income and wealth; it is in our healthcare and education systems. Is Labour trying to reverse the trend?
Read MoreDo Regions Matter?
If we really are serious about regional wellbeing, we may be pursuing it in the wrong way.
Read MoreAre We Too Slack?
Far too much policy is driven by mañana: when tomorrow comes we panic.
Read MoreWe need to understand hate to defeat it, not ignore it
When something wicked this way comes, what do you do? I hope in time we can make space for study and understanding. Let's find the courage to look at where the hate came from and counter it with facts and truth as well as compassion.
Read MoreBanning Jordan Peterson book inconsistent, but not anti-freedom
Whitcoulls has caused something of a furore by taking Jordan Peterson's 12 Rules for Life off its shelves. How much should we worry when books start to be censored?
Read MoreThe rocks we carry
The mosque attacks are weighing heavy on our hearts, but grief is not the only rock we carry. We must look hard at ourselves, our communities, our history, our bigotry and - if we are all us - face it all
Read MoreKinds of Protests
On Friday March 15, there were two major protests – school students concerned about the future, a terrorist facing toward the past. What are we to think?
Read MoreAfter the terror, fear must not win
As we start to wrestle with the pain and lessons of this heart-rending act of terror in Christchurch, let us not fall into the trap of being driven by fear and ignorance. Because that's how this all began
Read MoreOn the night of the shootings: A prayer for Christchurch
The unspeakable evil of the day when lives were stolen.
Read MoreUp in the Clouds
New calculations suggest that the farm sector is not adding as much to the greenhouse gas clouds as previously thought. But there remains the challenge of global warming which farmers must still take up.
Read MoreWaiting for Brexit
Kevin O’Rourke’s ‘A Short History of Brexit’ provides an excellent introduction to the British muddle, but does not resolve it.
Read MoreTo Tax Capital Gains Or Not to Tax Capital Gains
Taxing the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Read MoreThe Sizzle and the Sausage
Is the public debate underpinned by quality journalism or is it dumbing down?
Read MoreMeditating on Nelson and Population Growth
The city’s motto is 'Palmam qui meruit ferat'. (Let him, who has earned it, bear the palm.) Not sure that reflects a modern New Zealand city. Why does Nelson deserve a palm?
Read MoreIs the Invisible Hand Arthritic?
The report on the failings of the life insurance industry raises the wider issue of how we regulate markets throughout the economy.
Read MoreAnalysing the Internal Politics of Brexit
The theories one uses needs to be explicit, especially when the issue is as complicated as Brexit or Trump.
Read MorePolitical Flapdoodles and Crises.
This column is not about the Government successes nor the Opposition failures. Its purpose is to learn from the various flapdoodles, some of which are significant, some of which are trivial.
Read MoreThe Art of the Deal
What advice does Trump’s book give to the current President of the United Sates?
Read MoreThe ocean is not enough, Mr Wilson
Simon Wilson has had another tilt in today's Herald at sparking debate about a focal point for Auckland's waterfront (hint: it's not a stadium). I like his thinking, but reckon he's got one significant detail wrong
Read More