We are living through what has been described as a “crisis” of democracy. In Australia, poll after poll reveals deep dissatisfaction with the way democratic politics operate. Read more
This week the Productivity Commission released its draft report on land supply in New Zealand’s biggest cities, showing how various regulatory and planning constraints have choked it to a trickle. Many of the draft recommendations resonate with the Initiative’s own in this area. Read more
As anyone with a marketing background will tell you, humans are simple creatures. We have an appetite for the new. Read more
Good cop, bad cop: That is the game that the Greek government is playing. While Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis keeps annoying his European counterparts with long monologues and provocative statements (when he is not busy giving interviews), Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at least tries to present himself as a responsible leader willing to engage in dialogue, even if he rarely commits to anything. Read more
Judging by the excitement the Government’s announcement on social bonds has created, a revolution in social services must be just around the corner. According to critics like Labour’s Annette King, social bonds amount to a covert “privatisation”of the sector. Read more
New Zealand schoolkids' performance on international maths tests leaves a bit to be desired. Both the Programme for International Student Assessment test (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), the two main global benchmarks, show declining scores. Read more
All eyes are on Greece again this week. The Greek debt crisis was on the agenda of the G7 meeting in Germany last week, and discussed on the sides of a Europe and Latin America summit in Brussels. Read more
Last week saw a bustle of reports showing, once again, that maths learning is not up to scratch in New Zealand. A report commissioned by the Ministry of Education found that in 2013, 41% of Year 8 students were not achieving in maths at the expected level, with holes in fractions, decimals, percentages, and pro-numerals. Read more
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