Rob Campbell’s uncalled-for derogatory comment about National‘s “three waters” replacement policy has raised concerns about public service bias in New Zealand. His is not the only case. Read more
It was a big political story last week when the Hipkins Government sacked Rob Campbell from his prominent public service roles. The statements Campbell made on LinkedIn were blatantly political. Read more
After Jacinda Ardern's resignation, New Zealand's new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins faces a challenging year ahead. The country is grappling with the devastating impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle, while cost-of-living pressures continue to rise. Read more
The Education Ministry's considering changes to new literacy and numeracy tests like fewer questions, simpler language and letting students use spell-check. Documents obtained by RNZ show the Education Ministry and Qualifications Authority have been at odds about the tests' high failure rates. Read more
The most effective policy ideas are not always the most glamourous. In education, there are so many problems that, even having decided on a policy programme, the challenges faced by a Minister in getting it implemented are daunting. Read more
Police Minister Stuart Nash was right about retail crime. Solving the problem, as he suggested, requires reducing the number of targets. Read more
The sacking of Rob Campbell from his role as chair of Te Whatu Ora/Health NZ and the Environmental Protection Authority highlights an urgent need to reform New Zealand’s public service. Campbell’s partisan comments on his LinkedIn profile were inexcusable for someone in his position. Read more
The Charities Amendment Bill is currently before Parliament, but it is flawed and full of unintended consequences. As promised in the Labour Party manifesto, charities in New Zealand are demanding a proper first principles review with a better process and more public participation. Read more
Building back better was a common catch-cry as the country looked ahead to the post-Covid economy. And why not, you might think. Read more
Mike Hosking discusses Eric Crampton's Newsroom column about managing retreat and insurance in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle. Read more
When politicians talk nonsense about economics, it often goes unnoticed. This is likely both because nonsense is such a routine occurrence in democratic politics, and because many people cannot distinguish economic sense from nonsense. Read more
Managed retreat from floods and rising sea levels seems like a difficult problem. How to decide who might be allowed to live where, and what risks are acceptable? Read more
Sound decision-making underpins sound businesses and sound organisations. Major changes must be well-considered. Read more
Cyclone Gabrielle has battered New Zealand’s infrastructure. Roads, bridges and powerlines across large swathes of the North Island have been decimated. Read more
Few people attend business functions because of the speeches. No matter the speaker, these events are usually networking opportunities. Read more