OPINION

I almost did not read The Herald’s exclusive ‘classroom shake-up’ coverage last week. Quake stories were getting me down. Read more

If we want councils to be open, accountable and democratic, we have to overhaul the laws the govern the sector, writes Jason Krupp Local government in Zealand is broken and dying, only it is dying so slowly that you’d hardly notice it unless you are looking, and it is a problem. That most of you probably read this without batting an eye is testament to just how broken the sector is. Read more

The New Zealand Initiative is conducting research on the way fisheries are managed. This research will culminate in policy recommendations to help debate how best to improve New Zealanders’ recreational fishing experience. Read more

“Regulation above all else” is exactly what ridesharing wunderkind Uber must feel as it faces up to select committee hearings in Wellington this month. Despite promises of a new regulatory framework that recognises the role of global technology in improving safety and consumer protection, the bureaucrats at the Ministry of Transport have fallen well short. Read more

It was an odd sense of déjà vu this week as someone who lived in Christchurch until recently. The earthquake was hugely destructive and distressing for many. Read more

The government ran roughshod over property rights in the Christchurch rebuild. The New Zealand Human Rights Commission’s report urging the government to include property rights in the Bill of Rights now seems especially timely. Read more

Once upon a time, in a previous life it now seems, I wrote a doctoral thesis on the law and economics of advertising regulation. One of the fun facts I still remember is a paradox in people’s attitudes towards advertising. Read more

The highly clichéd pop psychology definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. If we accept this meaning, then local government in New Zealand is just plain nuts, cuckoo, cray cray, whacko and doolally. Read more

According to most commentators, the election of Donald J. Trump signifies the end of the West, the end of the international post-War framework, or at least the end of the United States. Read more

As Game of Thrones fans will remember, while it’s tempting to see chaos as a pit, chaos can also be a ladder. As the latest season of America’s Game of Thrones reached a climax more shocking than the Red Wedding, New Zealand should look to potential opportunities. Read more

The issue of what to do with the 74,000 young New Zealanders who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs) is a tricky one. Labour correctly pointed out in its conference how difficult and despairing it can be for young people in this situation and what a waste this represents to society. Read more

Earlier this year I wrote that a Donald Trump presidency wouldn’t be that bad. Today I’m a whole lot less cheerful. Read more

When I was a poor grad student, I made a lot of use of credit cards. Not having to pay for up to about 40 days after a purchase was awfully helpful when budgeting around lumpy scholarship payments. Read more

Have we ever witnessed a stranger US election campaign? What started off looking like a bad joke has now become a possibility: Reality TV star and self-proclaimed business genius Donald Trump becoming the 45th US President. Read more

While recently in northern California researching the management of recreational fisheries, I recalled the common phrase, “Size isn’t important, unless you’re a fisherman.” This phrase came to mind in relation to the red abalone fishery, which is the most common and largest of seven abalone species along the northern California coastline. What really stands out in this fishery is the recent breakthrough in the way it is being managed. Read more