Many of New Zealand’s future surgeons, scientists and teachers are right now sitting in front of an adult charged with teaching them the skills and knowledge that will help them in their post-school careers. In this way, would it be far-fetched to conclude that teachers have one of the most important jobs in New Zealand? Read more
Donald Trump is a demagogue and a proud ignoramus. Knowing nothing of the detail of policy, even in its broadest take, would be bad enough. Read more
This was one of the main messages in The New Zealand Initiative's latest report on public health regulations. Shocking as it is. Read more
Nothing is worse than politicians running out of ideas. Or to say it in the famous words of Abraham Maslow, “I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.” In the case of politicians, the hammer is the power to tax and the nails are all the problems that are coming their way. Read more
The New Zealand Treasury has a vision. It is to be “a world-class Treasury working for higher living standards for New Zealanders”. Read more
In his book The Ascent of Money, Harvard economic historian Niall Ferguson introduced us to what he called “the perennial truths of financial history”. They were: “Sooner or later every bubble bursts. Read more
As German-American journalist and satirist H.L. Mencken once explained, “Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods”. Read more
Can you remember back to a time when fizzy drinks weren’t maligned, but instead a rare treat? When you and your eagle-eyed siblings watched over the soda pouring ritual with great intent, studiously making sure the levels were equal, and that no one was preferred (by so much as a drop)? Read more
Schools are labs and students are the subjects. Though this may sound controversial, behind closed doors teachers experiment on their students. Read more
Chances are if you have had any discussions about migration in the past 12 months they have been about foreigners or Kiwis returning from Australia. But foreign migration is not the only cause of human traffic. Read more
Had Telecom left its renaming to the online world, it is unlikely ‘Spark’ would have been the name chosen. After all, this is a community whose vernacular specialises in cat videos, with an attention span that rarely exceeds 160 characters. Read more
If you read a headline claiming chocolate can help you lose weight, what would be your first reaction? Based on their own experience, some people may be sceptical. Read more
With Auckland’s housing crisis now a permanent feature on the Herald’s front page, it is worth restating how this problem started: not enough homes were built to keep up with natural demand. When too many buyers chase too few goods, prices have to rise. Read more
Some policies cut through logjams. Canada, a nation known for its lumberjacks and log drivers, might have found one that would break New Zealand’s refugee policy logjam. During last year’s Syrian refugee crisis – a crisis that has not yet ended – community groups, churches and Kiwis who care rallied to help. Read more
With the dust on the failed Wellington mega-merger process having only just settled, it is a disappointing turn of events to see a new merger proposal back on the agenda, albeit in a smaller form. That is because the previous merger - which would have amalgamated the Greater Wellington Regional Council with district councils in Wellington, Porirua, Kapiti Coast, Hutt, Lower Hutt, South Wairarapa, Carterton and Masterton into a unitary authority - offered so few benefits and such high costs that it never got out the gate. Read more