Insights

The New Zealand Initiative has championed localism for over a decade, and these efforts have paid off. A recent poll commissioned by the Taxpayers’ Union revealed that 70% of New Zealanders support sharing new development tax revenue with local communities. This overwhelming endorsement indicates a widespread desire for greater local autonomy and signifies the mainstream acceptance of localism.

The New Zealand Herald recently uncovered a government-commissioned University of Auckland report for the Ministry of Transport on financing transport infrastructure. The report used online conversations with 436 non-representative and biased participants and lacked valuable results. The study, while testing a new tool, failed to provide meaningful insights and wasted resources, tarnishing the reputation of external consulting.

The sacking of Rob Campbell sheds light on the urgent need to reform New Zealand’s public service. The politicization of the public sector, its resistance to change, and preference for central government programs are highlighted. Reform is crucial to modernize and improve the public service’s effectiveness and readiness for evidence-based reforms.

At BusinessNZ’s ‘Back to Business’ function, Prime Minister Hipkins surprised with candid remarks, acknowledging past government mistakes and emphasizing collaboration with business for education reforms.

Chris Hipkins is making substantial policy changes, seen as a move to clear unpopular policies before the election. Scrapping ineffective mandates and pausing new initiatives signals a focus on good policy development. This shift could influence future policy debates.

There are some moments when you know the world will never be the same. The invention of motorised flight was one such moment. The beginning of the World Wide Web was another. The year 2022 was a such turning point for artificial intelligence.

Before I hear one more grand vision from this Government, I would love to see them tackle at least one problem satisfactorily.

Urban economists have explained why cities are important. They have also told us how to make them work better. Now we just need politicians, bureaucrats and city planners to listen to them.