An Egalitarian Society?
Once upon a time New Zealand identified itself as egalitarian. Phrases like ‘a classless society’, ‘jack’s as good as his master; ‘a working man’s democracy’ were bandied around, often without much...
View ArticleWealth Inequality: Who Owns How Much?
When it comes to economic inequality, most of the discussion focuses on income: how much money people get every year (usually after tax), and how the difference between incomes for rich and poor people...
View ArticlePerceptions Of Inequality
In the last decade or so, the issue of economic inequality has achieved a high level of academic, media and public awareness. One notable theme in this recent attention has been the repeated...
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Age And Inequality
Introduction In a recent issue of Policy Quarterly I expressed some surprise over where New Zealanders positioned themselves on a scale between 1, ‘Incomes should be made more equal’ and 10, ‘We need...
View ArticleUnequal Health In New Zealand: Always Like This?
There are large inequalities in health in New Zealand. This much is well-known, as is the fact that health care interventions and public health efforts often fail to make things better, and indeed may...
View ArticleWhy I Don’t Ask People To Lose Weight
Last week the government launched their childhood obesity plan and it fills me with dismay. Apart from some wishful thinking in regard to industry self-regulation the initiatives are almost all...
View ArticleTranslation Of Evidence Into Action For The Public Good
The relationship between food and health might seem straight forward: with a variety of wholesome foods in sensible quantities, people can grow and function optimally. There is no argument that the...
View ArticleJunk Food Marketing
The Health Minister is currently deciding how to best address children’s poor health due to diet-related diseases. It is a good time not only to consider the content of the proposed approaches, but...
View ArticleThe Market For Health-Enhancing Foods
There is evidence that health-conscious consumer groups are becoming more and more important. This group has increasing expectations that food products carry health enhancing attributes such as...
View ArticleEncouraging Regional Diversity In Food Production
The sudden drop in the milk price earlier this year has exposed our economic vulnerability after focussing the majority of our agricultural investment into a single commodity market. When profits...
View ArticleWhat Is ‘Auckland’ Anyway?
What is Auckland anyway? The kernel of what we now call Auckland was a 3,000-acre triangle of land, with Maungawhau (Mt Eden) forming one corner. This was acquired by Governor Hobson in 1840 by a...
View ArticleLiving On The Edge: Rural Views Of The SuperCity
In 2010 Auckland’s eight regional, city and district councils were amalgamated into one, more or less along the old regional council boundary lines. This was seen as a victory by those seeking a...
View ArticleThe Impact Of The Auckland Model On Local Government Reform
The suggestion that Auckland has an impact beyond its borders is hardly radical. Yet it is not just the city’s economic clout that is having impact, it is also serving as a laboratory for local...
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Ageing Populations And Regional Decline
By comparison with most of its structurally older OECD counterparts, New Zealand’s population has grown strongly over the past two decades with annual growth rates averaging above 1.0 per cent....
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‘Critic & Conscience’ of Society
In 2010 I participated in an OECD Forum in Paris. The Forum was ostensibly focused on the ‘Road to Recovery’ following the onset of what was called the global financial crisis of 2007-2008. In contrast...
View ArticleOur El Niño Summer
We hear a lot in the news about El Niño (and its counterpart La Niña), but what is it? How and why does it affect New Zealand? The El Niño/La Niña cycle is a natural part of how the climate works....
View ArticleUniforms, Uniformity and Meaning
Most secondary schools in New Zealand have uniforms, however, the style, approach and attitude to school dress within each school is far from uniform. School uniforms have that curious quality of being...
View ArticlePublic Views on Privatising Social Policy
There has been increasing privatisation of New Zealand’s social policy sector since the National government was elected in 2008. Social bonds will see private investors fund not-for-profit...
View ArticleThe Open Economy And Free Trade Deals
It is difficult to see any option other than an open economy for New Zealand. But there are many possible open economies although we may not be able to choose some of them. The open economy is an...
View ArticleIntellectual Property And The TPPA. Does It Affect Us?
When New Zealand joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) it had to align its intellectual property protection with the minimum standards stipulated under the provisions of the WTO Agreement on...
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