Latest from the Policy Commons
With ACT and NZ First promising to overhaul Pharmac, what’s in store for publicly funded medicines?
By Paula Lorgelly Professor of Health Economics, University of Auckland Never before has Pharmac – the government’s medicine procurement agency and decision maker – featured so prominently in an election. Many parties are pledging more funding, but two are...
The prospect of City Deals in New Zealand
By David Waite, University of Glasgow The Auckland Mayor’s recent manifesto (“Manifesto for Auckland”), which seeks new arrangements with central government, hinges on a call for greater autonomy. The possibility of a City Deal was noted in the manifesto, and this...
Election 2023: Health Policies under the Microscope
What lies in store for our health sector after the 14 October election? We have assembled a panel of speakers with diverse expertise and perspectives on Aotearoa New Zealand’s health system to examine and discuss health policy ideas and initiatives proposed by...
Sustainability is often an afterthought in space exploration – that needs to change as the industry grows
By Priyanka Dhopade, Carolle Varughese, Lena Henry, Sarah Hendrica Bickerton, and Te Kahuratai Moko-Painting Aotearoa New Zealand is the latest country to enter the expanding and competitive international space market. In the aerospace strategy and national space...
Metaphors can be useful but they have dark side
By Peter Adams ‘Mental illness’ is no longer seen as a metaphor but a taken-for-granted truth. This view acts as a barrier, preventing alternative understandings and interventions being taken seriously Opinion: I often reflect on the wide range of positive...
Not all rent control policies are the same – the Green Party proposal deserves an open-minded debate
By Tom Baker The ink was barely dry on the Green Party’s recently unveiled “Pledge to Renters” – which included annual rent increase limits, a rental warrant of fitness and a national register of landlords – before others were consigning it to the policy dustbin....
As new Aussie citizenship rules kick in, the ‘fair go’ finally returns to trans-Tasman relations
By Jennifer Curtin In 1865, my Irish-born great great grandparents travelled from Dunedin to Sydney to marry in St Mary’s Cathedral. Some 63 years later, my grandmother Mary also travelled to Australia to marry my grandfather Ted. He was a clerk with the Bank of...
Policy Briefing: Building a just research system together
By Aisling Rayne, Hitaua Arahanga-Doyle, Troy Baisden, Bethany Cox, Murray Cox, Catherine Febria, Stephanie Galla, Shaun Hendy, Kirsten Locke, Anna Matheson, Aleksandra Pawlik, Tom Roa, Emma Sharp, Tammy Steeves, Leilani Walker, Krushil Watene, Priscilla Wehi Te...
NZ’s housing market drives inequality – why not just tax houses like any other income?
By Susan St John The Green Party made waves recently when it proposed to tax net wealth over NZ$2 million for individuals and $4 million for couples. As part of a broad range of actions, the policy aims to “end poverty”. Reactions ranged from endorsement to...
If there’s something in the water, we need to know
By Lokesh Padhye New Zealand's freshwater and drinking water is in a state of desperation. Lokesh Padhye makes the case for rigorous source water quality monitoring. Comment: The town of Kawerau has been in the headlines recently as its once-clear water has been...
NZ’s budget used a ‘gender lens’ for the first time – the result was a win for women
By Jennifer Curtin, Komathi Kolandai, Oluwakemi Igiebor, Suzy Morrissey, and Victoria Woodman All the pre-budget talk of “bread and butter”, “no frills”, targeting and reprioritisation came with a sense of foreboding. History and research tell us that budgets in...
The ‘otherness’ of Jacinda Ardern – by doing politics differently she changed the game and saved her party
Jennifer Curtin Professor of Politics and Policy, University of Auckland This week marks the beginning of Jacinda Ardern’s life outside parliament, since she officially ceased to be an electorate MP at midnight last Saturday. Her legacy as prime minister will be...
ATEPS 2023: The future of digital trade
ATEPS 2023: 'Trans-Tasman, Regional and Global Initiatives for Sustainable Trade Futures' took place 23-24 February 2023 and addressed the Trans-Tasman geo-political context, Regional Trade Agreements, developments in Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Indigenous...
ATEPS 2023: Evolving developments in global trade
ATEPS 2023: 'Trans-Tasman, Regional and Global Initiatives for Sustainable Trade Futures' took place 23-24 February 2023 and addressed the Trans-Tasman geo-political context, Regional Trade Agreements, developments in Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Indigenous...
ATEPS 2023: The Trans-Tasman geopolitical context and regional priorities
ATEPS 2023: 'Trans-Tasman, Regional and Global Initiatives for Sustainable Trade Futures' took place 23-24 February 2023 and addressed the Trans-Tasman geo-political context, Regional Trade Agreements, developments in Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Indigenous...
Road to Nowhere: and event with Paris Marx and Simon Wilson
Road to Nowhere: What technological solutions get wrong about the future of transport – an event with Paris Marx and Simon Wilson Date: Friday 17/03/2023 Time: 1 2pm Room: Biology Building (106) University of Auckland Room #100 Register here Silicon Valley wants us...
Public Talk: AI-generated flood images increase public engagement with climate change
When: Thursday 23 Feb, 12-1pm Where: OGGB Case Room 4 (260-009), Business School, 12 Grafton Road While many individuals report being concerned with climate change, they tend to perceive the problem as being spatially and temporally distant, affecting others in...
Voluntary and Involuntary Refugee Return: New Evidence from a multi-year Syrian refugee panel study
Presenter: Dr Daniel Masterson (University of California, Santa Barbara) When: Thurs 16 Feb, 3pm Where: Public Policy Institute Seminar Room (220-G01), 10 Grafton Road When do refugees’ return intentions predict behaviour? What are the implications of this...
Opinion: No voting magic about the age 18
Evidence from countries that have reduced their voting age from 18 show that enfranchising 16-to-17-year-olds fosters political engagement and interest
Opinion by Victoria Woodman: Voting is a civic right, but every democracy limits who can vote. These limits vary across time and place. Historically, New Zealand was considered something of a democratic pioneer, having had, as the historian Neill Atkinson put it, many “adventures in democracy”.
The strategic importance of the Pacific Islands to Taiwan
In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there have been heightened concerns that a Taiwan contingency involving the People’s Republic of China (PRC) could play out in the not-too-distant future. This year’s Department of Defense Annual Report on China to the US Congress asserts that PRC leadership views unification as pivotal to its policy of “Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation,” and its piecemeal pressure tactics against Taipei has led US President Joe Biden to openly state that the United States would defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion.
