Naked politics blocks decent policy-making

By Alex Penk

There’s been a lot of cynicism about the Provincial Growth Fund, and last week Minister Shane Jones went a long…

Budget reveals wellbeing will cost more than Rules allow

By Julian Wood

The figures announced in last week’s Wellbeing Budget stretches the Government’s self-imposed Budget Responsibility Rules (keeping the level of net…

Government needs to give answers on “wellbeing”

By Alex Penk

This week the Government will unveil the first-ever Wellbeing Budget, somewhat breathlessly described by the New York Times as “New…

Think Big 2.0: The Provincial Growth Fund risks turning into a fiasco

By Alex Penk

This article was written by Alex Penk and Julian Wood, and first published on The Spinoff on 26 February, on…

Media coverage of the launch of “A Risk Worth Taking” Policy Paper

By Alex Penk

On the morning of the release of our analysis of the Provincial Growth Fund, our report was featured on the…

Dom Post and The Press feature Alex on Jordan Peterson

By Alex Penk

As conversation increased around noted academic Professor Jordan Peterson’s visit to New Zealand, Alex Penk’s op-ed was printed in The…

Alex Penk responds to Maryan Street’s op-ed in Stuff newspapers

By Alex Penk

In response to Maryan Street’s op-ed that predicted the End of Life Choice Bill would pass this year, CEO Alex…

The little things that can change us

By Alex Penk

Last weekend, my daughter was shrieking in my ear with a mixture of delight and fear as we skimmed across…

The Politics of Diving

By Kieran Madden

Soccer goalkeepers sure look spectacular with their acrobatic dives during penalties, but studies show that simply standing in the middle…

Two-and-a-half cheers for child poverty bill

By Alex Penk

I was born at the tail-end of Gen X, so I grew up with a pop culture saturated by “fear…

Shaking off stardust politics

By Kieran Madden

Famously elusive about her political leanings, pop sensation Taylor Swift recently went beyond her usual neutral get-out-and-vote message to endorse…

Better the ballot box we know

By Danielle van Dalen

When online banking was first introduced, my Dad was sceptical. He worried there would be problems with security, access, and…

Miscarriage Bill should be welcomed – Alex in The Spinoff

By Alex Penk

“A bill to provide bereavement leave for miscarriages will soon face its first vote in parliament. It’s a subject that’s…

Mana in Mahi isn’t your average work-for-the-dole scheme

By Kieran Madden

Translated to “strength in work,” Labour’s Mana in Māhī scheme shows real potential to make a difference in the lives…

Generational perspective necessary to do policy well

By Kieran Madden

Our view of human nature makes a big difference on which policies we devise and support. “If men were angels,…

The age of misinformation

By Kieran Madden

“Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?” lamented the poet T.S. Eliot. “Where is the knowledge we have…

The $64,000 question

By Julian Wood

As my colleague discussed in a recent column, we have to be careful that our desire to punish offenders and…

Housing Panel – Live Q+A

THREE PERSPECTIVES ON HOW WE MOVE FORWARD A decent, affordable place to live is a basic need for every person,…

Is there demand for a tourist tax?

By Danielle van Dalen

I’m no economist, but even I know that basic economic theory says that as the price for a product increases,…

Beware the consequences of the waka-jumping bill

By Danielle van Dalen

Like many, my first introduction to politics was through a class election. My group decided our key campaign promise was…