It is too early to judge social bonds, writes Jenesa Jeram. For a concept few people had heard of before, social bonds have attracted a fair bit of criticism very quickly. Read more
This week, the OECD released its economic survey of New Zealand. Its 149 pages provide a comprehensive overview of the New Zealand economy, its strengths and weaknesses. Read more
The death of Lecretia Seales and Justice David Collins’ ruling that it is Parliament’s job to decide on the right to death has again breathed life into the controversial topic of euthanasia. ACT leader and MP David Seymour has seized on this momentum and promised to file a private member’s bill on the issue in the next few weeks. Read more
From mammoth bone huts in 16,000 BC and 3rd century French chateaux, to modern 20th century pre-fab, the evolution of housing through the centuries makes for pretty fascinating stuff. Skip to the 21st century and a Chinese construction company has developed a process for 3D-printing houses. Read more
Once upon a time, television was a different business. Not only was it broadcast in black and white, but you could also count the number of channels on the fingers of one hand (and sometimes on just one finger). Read more
Later this month the Wellington City Council is expected to require all council-owned businesses and contractors to pay their employees a living wage if they don’t already as part of the long term planning process. To some, it may seem like a sensible measure to pay people on the bottom rung of the employment scale a minimum $18.40 an hour as a means helping low-income families in our society (the exact level is yet to be quantified). Read more
Social bonds have caused quite a stir in the media this week. The model has attracted a deluge of negative feedback. Read more
Yesterday, the Initiative launched Un(ac)countable: Why millions on maths returned little. Authored by Rose Patterson, the report shows how changing teaching methods in maths have failed to improve our primary students’ maths performance. Read more
Apparently it is crunch time for Greece -- again. Over the next few days, we will find out whether Greece will stay in the eurozone, whether it will receive more bailout money or whether it will finally default (again). Read more
It is a mighty feat of politics that a government budget delivered well can keep commentators occupied for weeks. The Budget sets the terms of debate, pulling into sharp focus areas that receive additional funding, have had funding cut, or remain fiscally neglected by government. Read more
What do the Shotover jetboat operator, the maker of Weet-Bix breakfast cereal, St George’s Hospital in Christchurch, winemaker Mission Estate, and that group that plays the backing music on X-Factor have in common? No, this is not a joke. Read more
Here is a brain teaser: Suppose an aeroplane takes an hour to fly from A to B on a calm day. Now imagine that it is a windy so that on the way out, the plane’s speed is reduced by headwinds. Read more
Superannuation was in the news again this week following the government's budget announcement. Labour leader Andrew Little demanded tighter eligibility requirements of the universal pension scheme. Read more
New Zealand has long struggled with a geographic weakness, namely a position on the globe so remote that Tasmania features almost as prominently on a world map as the Land of the Long White Cloud. The isolation extends beyond just the geographical, with the country and its nearest neighbour, Australia, sticking out like an anglophile sore thumb amid the diaspora of Asian nations, all of which have more in common with each other than New Zealand. Read more
If the definition of madness is ‘doing something over and over again while expecting a different result’, then Europe is certainly going mad. At the same time that European integration is heading for the rocks, the leaders of France and Germany are calling for more of the same. Read more