Australia

parliament house building under the blue sky
The Australian

Lost in Bureaucracy: Is New Zealand’s Public Service a ‘Yes Minister’ Reality?

15/03/2023
Anthony Albanese wasted no time asserting authority as Australia’s Prime Minister, swiftly replacing key department heads. In contrast, New Zealand’s bureaucratic system poses obstacles to ministerial influence, with a significant rise in public service size, limited ministerial control over appointments, and physical and organizational distance between ministers and departments. This presents a persistent challenge to potential government reforms.

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textile australian flag with crumples
Insights

Gotcha, Albanese

14/04/2022
Instead of grilling would-be Prime Ministers on the price of groceries that they are unlikely to buy for themselves anyway, let’s test them on matters they would deal with in office.

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graffiti old submarine u boat
Newsroom

A torpedo to European security

21/09/2021
For Europe, AUKUS feels like the security outcome of a bull’s run through a China shop. Only China will be happy about the weakening of Europe – and Europe’s new divisions – that AUKUS has created.

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Uncategorised

Housing needs supply-side fix

01/12/2020
Voters should ask a simple question about any new housing proposal: Will it make it easier to build more homes? If the answer is not “yes,” these are not the policies Australia or New Zealand need to fix our countries’ housing crises.

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Insights

The price for overcaution

26/06/2020
New Zealand could keep its border shut regardless of whether it is possible to open it safely. But that would mean repeating the mistake it made during lockdown.

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The New Zealand Herald

The ghost of Kevin Rudd

12/05/2020
First, I never want to hear another excited word about shovel-ready projects. Second, I would like to see decent cost-benefit analyses before any new spending project. And third, I wish the public service would curb any over-enthusiastic minister on their respective pet projects.

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