Some surveys require interpretation. Others speak for themselves. Read more
It is brave to invite an historian to speak at a conference about the future. As the Scottish historian Tom Devine once quipped, the future was not his time period. Read more
It was a sunny morning in 2040. I got on my electric bike and rode through my Auckland neighbourhood. Read more
Earlier in the year, this column argued for a public service reset. It was prompted partly by the ballooning size of public sector headcount. Read more
You may be forgiven for not knowing who Michael Ashcroft is. In this country, he is hardly a household name. Read more
When land prices are wrong, it’s hard for anything to be right. When zoning makes it too hard to build in places where people want to live, land prices will be out of whack. Read more
“God’s own country” was how our longest-serving Prime Minister, Richard “King Dick” Seddon described New Zealand. The moniker he popularised for his country also proved enduring – even if by the late 20th century, it had become abbreviated to “Godzone.” Yet, as the 2023 general election approaches, New Zealand feels less blessed than it has in the past. Read more
When land prices are wrong, it’s hard for anything to be right. When zoning makes it too hard to build in places where people want to live, land prices will be out of whack. Read more
At the end of the Cold War, western governments substantially reduced military expenditure. US President Bush and UK Prime Minister Thatcher called it the “peace dividend.” It was not a “dividend” in any normal sense of the term. Read more
This week, the National Party revealed its tax plans for the election. These are aimed at people with average incomes. Read more
In a courageous move, the New Zealand Government introduced a bill that would allow 16-year-olds to vote in local elections. Yes, you read that right: 16. Read more
It has to be the silliest game of Cluedo going. Who caused the cost of living to blow out? Read more
New Zealand was on the brink of an abyss. Its smug and reckless government had burdened the economy with top-down planning, lost control of public finances and created a crisis of confidence in the Kiwi dollar. Read more
New Zealand is standing at a historic crossroads. The 2023 election is not just another election; it is a turning point, a watershed moment for our nation’s future. Read more
One of the key themes that echoes through the 21 areas of public policy we cover in Prescription for Prosperity, is localism. We need to get central bureaucracy out of the way, so that local innovation can thrive. Read more