An obvious synonym for the United States is the word 'big'. Big cars, big houses and big business all spring to mind when you think of the country, but it is also big on drama. Read more
The debate over National Standards continues to simmer away, but the conversation is changing. If you listen carefully there is no real opposition to the general concept of National Standards – which is the reporting of student progress to parents. Read more
Oscar Wilde once suggested that “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life”, but had he wanted to describe the business of art he would have probably turned to the science of economics. At face value, it would seem art and economics have very little in common, but upon second glance, the apparently fickle nature of the art market is well explained by economic rationale. Read more
If New Zealand needed another timely reminder about the opportunity to sell our natural resources to the increasingly wealthy Chinese, it came this week from The Economist, which took note of the country’s water crisis. According to the magazine, water scarcity means the average person in China only uses about 400 cubic metres a year, approximately a quarter of what the average American uses, and well under the international definition of water stress. Read more
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The European crisis plays itself out on different levels: some clearly visible, others less so. What dominated the headlines of the past four years was Europe’s sovereign debt crisis. Read more
Oil and gas exploration is one of the most polarising issues being debated right now as judged by the number of "don't drill" signs popping up in the front yards of neighbourhoods across the country. That's probably because, as an issue, it's easy to polarise. Read more
When think tanks launch their reports, reactions are typically divided. Fair enough: our goal is to present innovative analysis and recommendations and trigger debates. Read more
Twenty-four hours from now local election voting closes. Time is ticking to tick those boxes, lick that envelope and proudly post your papers off, thus exercising your democratic right to vote for your chosen local government representatives. Read more
Safely perched in the obscurity of Wellington, it’s with a strange combination of boredom and fascination that I’m watching the US budgetary showdown, a bid by the Republicans to force the Obama administration to dial back state healthcare spending. This is because as a former markets reporter, I know almost with a certainty that one side will blink before too long. Read more
It is a sign of maturity when children discover that Santa is not real. There is no fat, bearded man who comes down the chimney and deposits gifts under the Christmas tree. Read more
Scaremongering about sea-level rise is an international pastime. Retired NASA scientist James Hanson appears to be leading the pack. Read more
A chameleon might blush with envy next to British Prime Minister David Cameron. Eight years after his election as leader of the Conservative Party, and a little more than three years since becoming Prime Minister in a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats, Cameron has reinvented himself yet again. Read more
One of the major issues facing businesses today in this globalised world is how to attract, develop and retain the right talent. And while money is of course important, professional development, career progression, job status, and the intrinsic value of work all play into this, making it all the more challenging for HR departments. Read more
What kinds of things matter for student achievement? Is it class size, school journals, the school building, or a flash new gym? Read more