Publications

Schoolchildren around the world learn that European history starts with Athens and Rome. In future times, they will also be taught that the end of modern Europe began in the same places.

The global financial crisis has shaken the foundation of Britain’s business model, namely the financial services sector. However, there is no other industry that could possibly compensate for the troubles surrounding the City of London. It’s certain that the era of ‘Cool Britannia’ with its ‘bullshit economy’ is over – at no great loss to mankind. But it’s far less clear what, if anything, could take its place.

Just like their Australian cousins, most Britons regard home ownership as a good in itself. It is thought to be a panacea for all sorts of social ills, a tool for regenerating run-down areas, a safe investment for retirement, and a key to building a stable democracy. You can spend the whole week watching all sorts of ‘property porn’ shows on British TV that tell you how to build, buy, renovate or sell your home. Politicians regularly talk about it in terms of ‘aspiration’ and promise help for first-timers to step onto the property ladder. Yet there is a dark side to Britain’s property mania.

The morning after held an unpleasant surprise. My right arm was sore, and my left shoulder hurt at every move. It felt as if I had dug a trench right through our garden. In fact, my wife and I had only spent an evening in front of the telly. If only we had known what we were getting ourselves into when we decided to get a Nintendo Wii game console.

Given Germany’s experience, it is high time New Zealand starting thinking carefully about the future of its electoral system. Has MMP cured the ills it was meant to or has it just made the system more complex?

Australians worried about their productivity performance in international rankings may relax a little. There is not much in the German experience that they should wish to copy.

After 13 years of Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) representation, Prime Minister John Key has said it is time to ‘kick the tyres’ and see how much support the system enjoys. New Zealand will hold a referendum on the electoral system coinciding with the next election, which may well be a close contest. With this referendum looming, it is both desirable and necessary to revisit New Zealand’s electoral system, its peculiarities, and its history. Beyond that, this is also the time to consider alternatives to MMP.

MMP has, in some ways, proved to be the worst of all worlds. It was meant to provide consensual decision-making, prevent an outright parliamentary majority pulling away from the will of voters and, thus, make Parliament representative. It was also meant to provide different local and national representation, and the proportional element was supposed to increase diversity within Parliament.