Alex Penk
About Alex Penk
CEO
Alex leads the work and mission of Maxim Institute, representing our work in public, and speaking and writing about public leadership - a topic he studied during his time as a Visiting Fellow at the McDonald Centre at Oxford University in Trinity Term 2016. His previous study includes a Master of Laws from Cambridge University and degrees in law and science from the University of Auckland.
Most Recent Activity
Dodging the lolly-scramble for power
By Alex Penk
As a kid, there was one word that always got your heart racing and your legs pumping at a community…
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The dangerous appeal of binding referendums
By Alex Penk
“Actually, when you drill into it, there are some big reasons to think twice before embracing binding referendums.” Click here…
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Honouring Sir John Graham
By Alex Penk
“We join many in New Zealand in remembering and honouring the life of Sir John Graham,” says Maxim Institute CEO,…
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Big questions for local councils
By Alex Penk
Do you expect your council to light your streets and fix the potholes? Do you think it should provide clean…
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Urban/rural split could lead to political polarisation
By Alex Penk
Alex’s latest op-ed features in The Christchurch Press, where he discusses the political and social risks of growing demographic rifts between…
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Like a bickering couple, we need to find healthy ways to disagree about politics
By Alex Penk
Elections bring out conflict and some of it can be really damaging. Because we’re living together, we’re building a shared…
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The public square vs the voting booth
By Alex Penk
Why was Donald Trump’s election so surprising? One obvious reason is that he was completely unfit to be president. Less…
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Posturing doesn’t help those facing poverty
By Alex Penk
“I know that’s not PC, but you know, that’s me,” said Judith Collins last week as she commented on child…
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What is the number?
By Alex Penk
Anyone advocating for euthanasia or assisted suicide should have to answer this question: How many wrongful deaths is Parliament prepared…
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Values and voting
By Alex Penk
No-one likes a hypocrite. So when we hear that evangelical Christians in America are voting for Donald Trump , in…
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Disagreeing well
By Alex Penk
The sudden death of US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has sparked a response that caught my attention. After news…
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The reason more important than the change
By Alex Penk
At the height of the Boer War, New Zealanders celebrated the heroism and abilities of our troopers. There was an…
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The aftershocks of King Henry VIII
By Alex Penk
What does a long-dead Tudor king have to do with the Canterbury earthquakes? In late 2010, after the first shock,…
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Ever heard of Jackie Robinson?
By Alex Penk
In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play major league baseball since the 1880s. One of the most…
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Bound to fail
By Alex Penk
Imagine you’re in hospital, waiting for surgery. The surgeon walks over, and you realise they’re holding a butter knife, not…
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Submission to the Lobbying Disclosure Bill
By Alex Penk
Maxim Institute made a submission to the Lobbying Disclosure Bill, which is currently before Select Committee. Below is the executive…
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The future of charity
By Alex Penk
What makes a charity? Who’s in, and who’s out? The Charities Commission has been asking these questions as it gears…
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Submission: Electoral Finance Reform Issues
By Alex Penk
Maxim Institute has made a submission to the first stage of this process, arguing that the law needs to strike…
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Tax Discussion Series: Is it Just Tax?
By Alex Penk
Tax and the economy are issues on many people’s minds at the moment; raising questions that all governments and societies…
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Submission: Income Splitting for families with children
By Alex Penk
Maxim Institute supports the introduction of income splitting, with two qualifications. Firstly, we believe there is a case for more…
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