Bring the noise! Or zone housing for choice
If you think hell is other people, then cities aren’t a great place to live. We are all at least a little bit annoying. Read more
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If you think hell is other people, then cities aren’t a great place to live. We are all at least a little bit annoying. Read more
Imagine waking up and discovering that, overnight, you had been granted superpowers. With a touch of your finger, you could cause new housing to emerge in places with housing shortages. Read more
Critics of judicial overreach face an odd challenge. The most sophisticated response is not to defend the decisions – it is to deny that the constitutional limits exist at all. Read more
Imagine hiring someone to run your business. Except you did not hire them. Read more
Auckland Council protects eighty views across the city. Mainly, not views from homes. Read more
When were you last genuinely enthusiastic about casting your vote? Not just resigned to the least bad option, but actually excited to tick that box? Read more
Try running a company where the board is accountable to shareholders but cannot choose the CEO. Instead, the CEO is appointed by an independent commissioner. Read more
New Zealand’s ministers answer to Parliament for departments they cannot control. They cannot choose, direct or remove the chief executives who run those departments. Read more
Who runs the country? New Zealand’s system stops elected governments from governing Wellington (Wednesday, 8 April 2026) - New Zealand’s ministers answer to Parliament for departments they cannot control. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich talked to Ryan Bridge on Newstalk ZB about why ministers should have the power to appoint and dismiss their department chief executives, arguing the current system, where the Public Service Commission makes these appointments, is unusual internationally and can hinder a government's ability to implement its agenda. He pointed to the resource management reforms as an example where bureaucratic resistance may have watered down the government's plans, and highlighted Germany's model, where ministers appoint a qualified state secretary while the rest of the public service remains neutral and protected. Read more