Wellington (Wednesday, 29 October 2025) - New Zealand's three-year parliamentary term is too short for effective government and the country needs more MPs to keep politicians accessible to voters, according to new research examining 30 years of MMP in New Zealand. “MMP has delivered fairer and more representative parliaments, but it’s time for an upgrade,” says Nick Clark, Senior Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative and author of the report. Read more

Nick Clark talked to Ryan Bridge on Newstalk ZB about improving local government voter turnout and council effectiveness. He argued that smaller, more localised councils with stronger mayoral powers and better accountability mechanisms could increase engagement, pointing to Switzerland's model of thousands of local government units as a potential alternative to New Zealand's consolidation approach. Read more

Nick Clark talked to Jack Tame on Q+A about the record-low voter turnout in local elections, arguing councils need stronger mayors, better funding tools, and freedom from central government interference to restore public engagement. He advocated for incentive-based funding mechanisms like GST sharing on building consents while expressing concerns about the government's proposed rates capping, warning it could lead to infrastructure deficits and higher debt. Read more

In this episode, Eric and Nick talk to Michael (Mick) Keen, a former Deputy Director of the IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department and co-author of "Rebellion, Rascals and Revenue", about the many ways taxation can go wrong throughout history. They explore bizarre historical taxes like Britain's window tax and ship taxation, discuss New Zealand's exemplary GST system, and examine how poor tax design can lead to smuggling, rebellions, and unintended economic distortions. Read more

The Local Government Business Forum has today released a report calling for binding referendums on major council spending projects, giving ratepayers a way of saying yes to projects that they support. “Council rates increased an average of 12% last year and are estimated to rise another 9% this year. Read more