No time is money
New Zealanders like the ability to kick out bad governments after only three years. But our short terms reduce the quality of any government no matter who happens to be in office. [...]
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No matter where you look, Europe is facing serious challenges. The past two or three years after the end of the Greek crisis were a welcome respite for the troubled continent. But the next storm is not far away and it is likely to be worse than the ones before. [...] -
In one area of public policy, New Zealand is much devolved: education. Since the rollout of Tomorrow’s Schools in 1989, our schools have enjoyed relative autonomy and self-governance. That may end if the Government implements recommendations from the Tomorrow's Schools Review taskforce. [...] -
In our enlightened society, it should be a human right to determine one’s age. [...] -
Europe’s middling defence capacity is no match for the continent’s lofty political ambitions. [...] -
If house prices go up, it is a scandal. If house prices go down, it is a disaster. That must be the logic by which the media reports on the ups and downs of the property market. [...] -
No matter what Britons voted for in the 2016 referendum, no-one can be happy with the draft Brexit agreement. [...] -
Besides, the construction of 9,000 homes is more than 26 times the number of buyers who have qualified for Kiwibuild so far. It’s a pity that complex finance initiatives do not make for great photo opportunities with the Prime Minister. [...] -
Few outcomes of the US midterm elections could have been predicted with certainty. Except that President Trump would call the result a “tremendous success” no matter what. And he did just that. [...] -
The way it is going, Germany’s chancellor in early 2019 would no longer be called Merkel but Merz. That may sound similar. They even belong to the same party. But it would be a markedly different government. [...] -
Halloween is a strange feast in our calendar. Nobody knows what is celebrated and why. But that, I would argue, makes it the perfect candidate for New Zealand’s next public holiday. We need more nonsensical feasts to guide us through the year. [...]
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