When Newsroom’s editor Jonathan Milne invited me to write one of two special pieces for the summer break, I faced quite the conundrum. My options were to either review a work of non-fiction or write a column about hope and optimism for 2025. Read more
Something is seriously wrong with New Zealand’s public wealth. We rank near the top globally for per-capita resources and assets - ahead of most OECD nations. Read more
If one word could sum up 2024, “sobering” might be it. This week’s final economic data for the year – from Treasury’s half-year update to yesterday’s GDP numbers – reads like the opposite of a Christmas wish list. Read more
Academic freedom is a hot topic at the moment. The coalition agreement required universities to have academic freedom policies to receive government funding. Read more
The New Zealand Treasury's latest forecasts and the Government's Budget Policy Statement (BPS) are disquieting. Public debt management looks lax and possibly illegal, government spending entrenches excess rather than tackles it, and productivity growth measures are welcome but piecemeal. Read more
One week after the American election, Trump-advisor Elon Musk tweeted a 2023 video outlining Trump’s plans for higher education. Trump is erratic. Read more
Here is a simple business scenario: You operate ferries across Cook Strait, between New Zealand’s North and South Islands. Your vessels are ageing and need replacement. Read more
Imagine being part of a conservation society devoted to eradicating intrusive exotic animal pests. This year, the society will work in a large range where rabbits are ruining the hillsides, plentiful possums have been eating everything, and someone thinks they might have seen a wallaby. Read more
This week, the Treasury barred representatives from the Council of Trade Unions and the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union from attending its restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. They had been invited to register their intent to attend the briefing. Read more
New Zealand's local government is facing a crisis of democracy, but international examples show a way forward. This is the key message from my report, Making Local Government Work, released by the New Zealand Initiative this week. Read more
When Javier Milei was elected president of Argentina in December 2023, the world’s media competed to paint the darkest picture possible. The Guardian warned of “a victory that would undo 40 years of democracy.” The Nation warned of “Argentina’s Chainsaw Massacre.” Deutsche Welle declared Argentina would become “isolated in terms of foreign policy.” Curiously, many of these voices keep urging us to give socialism just one more chance. Read more
To solve a problem, first you have to understand it. Once you understand it, you sometimes realise that it isn’t the same problem you had thought. Read more
From my native Germany to my adopted home of New Zealand, I have observed a curious phenomenon in modern politics: political leaders who enjoy far greater esteem internationally than they do closer to home. Jacinda Ardern was one such politician. Read more
Last week, French Prime Minister Michel Barnier faced parliament defiantly. Despite lacking a majority, he tried to push through controversial reforms using Article 49.3 of the Constitution – a mechanism allowing the government to bypass parliamentary votes. Read more
Last night, 850 of New Zealand’s business leaders gathered at Auckland’s Viaduct Events Centre for the 35th Deloitte Top 200 Awards. The Awards are New Zealand’s premier celebration of corporate excellence. Read more