New Zealand has always tolerated a bit of theatre in local politics. This year, in Wellington though, it is more like the theatre tolerating the politics. Read more
Australians watching the economic drama unfold across the Tasman might find the plot familiar: An economy shrinks far faster than anyone forecast. Manufacturing slumps. Read more
A young TikTok activist has discovered something shocking about New Zealand policymaking. Brace yourself: A leading New Zealand think tank recommended a knowledge-rich curriculum for schools. Read more
At Eden Park, concerts are capped at twelve a year from six artists. Weekday shows must finish by 11 pm, with a maximum duration of five hours. Read more
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has one big job when it comes to monetary policy. That job is defined in its Remit – the contract that it has with the government. Read more
They seem unable to help themselves. And it’s probably our fault. Read more
When Parliament says gang insignia “is forfeited to the Crown,” citizens are entitled to assume those words mean what they say. Yet on 11 August the District Court ruled otherwise. Read more
Vocational education has never had a good reputation in New Zealand. It has long been seen as a second-best option for ‘struggling students.’ University is the destination of choice for ‘good’ students, even if they have no idea what they want to do there. Read more
Three weeks. That is how long New Zealanders waited to know the outcome of the 2023 election. Read more
In New Zealand economics, numbers have personalities. Two supermarkets are a duopoly. Read more
Imagine that your family spent twice as much as it earned last month. Around the kitchen table the mood would be grim and the bank’s patience likely wearing thin. Read more
On Wednesday morning last week, I was getting ready for my afternoon speech at the Financial Services Council conference in Auckland. Between sessions, I scrolled through X on my phone. Read more
More than half of New Zealanders think the country is going in the wrong direction. Trust in Parliament, the courts and the Reserve Bank has fallen sharply since 2021. Read more
Grades have been inflating at universities across the English-speaking world, including in New Zealand. That was the message of my first two columns in this series. Read more
Once upon a time, “Yes Minister” gave us Sir Humphrey Appleby, scheming, obstructive, magnificently verbose, but above all, competent. He could bury a reform in procedure without breaking a sweat. Read more