Disappointed supporters of legalising cannabis are asking the High Court to void the recent referendum result. They aren’t going to succeed, and probably shouldn’t even try to do so.
Read MoreNot every wrong has a remedy (in court, anyway)
The Kafkaesque nature of the WorkSafe charges against GNS Science
WorkSafe has charged the Government’s volcano watchdog, GNS Science, as one of the thirteen parties in relation to the Whakaari/White Island eruption. We don’t yet know why. But can they really be guilty of not sciencing properly?
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 MoreAlways more fish in the sea? Maybe not
Is the way we think about our marine environment out of date? And what can Covid-19 teach us about being better kaitiaki of our oceans? Because the need is now urgent
Read MoreUp and Down with COVID-19: Could President Trump Be Right (Twice!) In The End?
A seminal paper on ecology, media and attention spans offers insight into just how Covid-19 might yet just ‘go away’… at least, in a political sense. By Sonia Mazey and Jeremy Richardson
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 MoreMaori Caucus wins big in new cabinet, with focus on Covid & Election 2023
Jacinda Ardern has started her second term with a bold reshuffle and seven new ministers coming into cabinet. There’s a hat tip to the regions and women, but Maori are the big winners with today’s announcement, thanks in large part of Kelvin Davis
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 MoreEveryone I don’t like is Hitler, or, how i got banned by Facebook
Liam Hehir has been banned from Facebook for 40 days for some reason. Here\ is what he thinks about that.
Read MoreThe Ideal and the Reality for a New MP
Being an MP is not quite what you think.
Read MoreNow’s the time – expand ACC
Labour’s (or, at least, Jacinda Ardern’s) decision to rule out all but a minimal increase to the top tax rate puts real constraints on the social policy changes it can make. But there’s one policy area where progressive reform remains on the table and so “transformation” is still possible.
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 MoreWhat sort of relationship might Labour and the Greens agree on?
Labour doesn’t need the Greens to govern. But if they think they want them around, what sort of arrangement might the two parties form?
Read MoreBe careful what you wish for: Labour's difficult triumph
Labour’s historic victory was a surprisingly large endorsement for Jacinda Ardern’s first term, but it has now built an unlikely coalition of supporters who will be demanding very different things of the government over the next three years
Read MoreNot as a Christian, but as a New Zealander: Why I am voting against assisted suicide tomorrow.
Liam Hehir sets out his his fears for the assisted suicide referendum, which looks set to pass.
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