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Local government reform has turned into a numbers game. The government’s ‘Head Start’ asks how many councils we should have, and where the lines between their jurisdictions should be drawn. Read more

Choice, competition and open markets provide strong consumer protection. The risk that a customer might shift to a competitor, or to another type of product entirely, provides discipline. Read more

Victoria University of Wellington wants the teachers it trains to be ‘agents of change.’ According to the university’s handbook for teacher education programmes, teaching graduates must be committed to “social, cultural, and ecological justice.” Decoded, that means attending protests about political causes the activists lecturers find important. Providing teachers with skills to manage a classroom is not part of the brief. Read more

Small countries in a big world can choose to be nimble or they can choose to be stupid. When it comes to medicines, New Zealand has chosen the second path. Read more

National promises that, if re-elected, it will make KiwiSaver compulsory. The case for compulsion is weaker than most assume. Read more

As a former academic, I know how onerous research publication can be. Before being published in a professional journal, an article must undergo peer review. Read more

We have a new colleague at The New Zealand Initiative. Our latest senior fellow is Major General John Howard, retired. Read more

The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) exists to mend people. If you are hurt in an accident, the scheme pays for your care and some of your lost wages. Read more