Labour is obsessed with not being seen as a ‘tax and spend’ party, but its economic caution means social issues are dominating its agenda and it risks falling into another trap with the election little more than a year away
Read MoreFrom frustration in then UK to vacuousness in the US: Travelling a disgruntled world
The chaos of Boris Johnson, the vacuous response to US gun violence, Harry and Megan’s family size, and the surge of Andrew Yang… overseasia is a curious place right now
Read MoreAbortion debate shows best of politics, which is why Peters' games are so jarring
Jacinda Ardern looks to have delivered a key election promise on a day when MPs showed how honest, civil debate works… except, that is, for Winston Peters
Read MoreScoring the Accountants
Elements of our Public Finance Act are world class, as a recent conference reported. But other parts need to be overhauled.
Read MoreWelcome to the new Pundit, 10 years on
Yes, your eyes aren’t playing games. Things do look a little different round here. Let us explain…
Read MoreThe greying of the Greens
The Greens’ stubborn incrementalism and James Shaw’s ruthlessness with dissent is diluting support inside the party is hastening the day when it faces its own revolution or replacement on the left
Read MoreOpposition to Housing Policy
Housing is one of the hardest meso-economic (between macro and micro) sectors to analyse. In part it is its complexity, but perhaps most fundamentally it is an area where standard market theory applies poorly. And then there is the politics.
Read MoreLet’s do This: A guide to the Third Way. The Giddens Project Part 4
In the minds of most social democratic politicians, the Third Way is yesterday’s news. But it hasn’t been that easy to come up with an alternative vision of progress. Maybe what Giddens had to say might yet be a good starting point – if only to disagree
Read MoreDear ministers, here's a solution for Ihumatao
The debate at Ihumatao has become a battle over whether or not to build houses. What about a third option?
Read MoreLetter to my MP on the End of Life Choice Bill and a Referendum*
I do not recall during the 2017 election thinking about your position, or that of the other candidates in my electorate, in regard to the legislation about assistance for those who choose to end their life. Now Parliament is going to make a decision about it. What do I want you to do for me?
My idealistic position on the role of MPs was articulated by Edmund Burke:
‘Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.’
Read MoreMuddling Over Methane
New Zealand has got itself into a right proper muddle over methane emissions and their impact on climate change. A simple change to the proposed legislation would sort it out.
The proposed Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill treats biogenic methane emissions differently from all other carbon emissions. The latter are to be measured net so that emissions from fossil fuels can be offset by carbon stored in trees. However, methane from livestock is measured gross.
Read MoreWhen it comes to child protection & whānau, are we talking about the same thing?
The issues surrounding child uplift are complex, but we won't make progress without a better understanding of whānau and the tikanga behind it.
Later this month, thousands of people are expected to march to parliament as part of the #HandsOffOurTamaraki movement. At its heart, the movement is about preserving whānau and demanding that the state stop removing children from their whānau, hapū and iwi.
Read MoreHow Important Is Local Knowledge?
Many foreign appointments to leading public agencies have proved disappointing. Is that inevitable?
The discussion on the quality of economic advice, which we reported last week, has spilled over into a discussion about whether so many senior appointments should be of non-New Zealanders. Recall I discussed the failure to develop career paths within the New Zealand public service.
Read MoreThe best way through to the end of life
Conscience and consultation are good paths through the mire of emotional and controversial policies such as euthanasia. But referendums are key to ensuring voters are heard
The End of Life bill has been read a second time and is now heading for the House for further debate. Personally, I support the proposal. I don't ever expect to take advantage of the Bill's provisions myself, but as I see this is it my life – inasmuch as it is possible, how I end it should be my decision and mine alone.
Read MoreDoubts and Hopes About The Treasury
The kerfuffle over the budget leaks precipitated a public exposure of a simmering concern about the quality of Treasury’s work.
Before the substantive issue which this column is about – whether there has been a deterioration in the economic advice given to the government – a paragraph about the budget leaks.
Read MoreThe emergence of the Third Way: From Douglas to Clark (via Clinton & Co)
In part three, after the new right revolution of the 1980s, social democratic parties such as Labour were searching their souls. Then came new ideas and new 'third way' leaders such as Bill Clinton and Tony Blair, with answers to the identity crisis
First way – the state, Keynesian demand management, the working class as the base of support. Second way – free-market, reduce the scope of the state and cut taxes, relative indifference to social justice. Third Way – well that's the question.
Read MoreInequality and Mental Health
It may be that higher levels of inequality have increased the incidence of poor mental wellbeing in the community. A recent book suggests a causal mechanism from one to the other.
International research shows that there is a socioeconomic status (or class) gradient, in which those with low SES experience higher morbidity from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, ulcers, rheumatoid disorders, a number of cancers, psychiatric diseases, dementia and so on.
Read MoreLet's keep things in proportion, shall we?
Would permitting terminally ill people to obtain a consenting doctor's help to end their life really undermine our entire system of law? Yeah ... nah.
Grant Illingworth QC is concerned that if David Seymour’s End of Life Choice Bill is enacted, we somehow would be breaching the social contract on which our entire system of law rests.
Read MoreHow to Reduce Accountability: Downgrade the Chief Archivist!
espite its manifesto promise to make the Chief Archivist an officer of Parliament, the government has not yet announced its decision. It is taking so long there must be a problem. Let’s guess an outcome if the officials have their way.
One of the major issues which face a democratic nation is the challenge of keeping its bureaucracy accountable and responsive to the public. Over the years a variety of arrangements have developed with this objective.
Read MoreImagine a world of speech without rules ...
The ACT Party's "plan to protect freedom of expression" is long on aspiration, short on detail, and would usher in an extremely unpleasant society should it ever be put into place.
This morning I had a chat to RNZ’s Morning Report about the ACT Party’s “plan to protect freedom of expression”.
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