Expert analysis
25 Sep 2026
Solar outshines political polarisation on energy and climate
Commentary: The take-home from our survey of political parties on climate mitigation and energy systems was that, troubl...
14 Sep 2026
Political polls have a science problem
Commentary: This general election will be close and opinion polls may make a significant difference to the outcome. We m...
13 Aug 2026
NZ wants a high‑tech future. Its proposed physics curriculum may make that harder
Commentary: New Zealand is placing big bets on science and technology, with plans to boost high-tech research funding by...
11 Aug 2026
NZ First says population trends are at a ‘crisis point’. The reality is not that simple
Commentary: NZ First’s announcement of a policy to encourage New Zealanders to have more babies was made with dramatic u...
10 Aug 2026
Money alone won’t secure NZ’s infrastructure
Commentary: Pouring billions into infrastructure can’t prevent disaster if NZ keeps waiting for assets to break.
08 Aug 2026
MMP needs fixing, not ditching
Commentary: Dr Michael Swanson argues Christopher Luxon’s call for an MMP referendum sidesteps critical electoral repair...
29 Jul 2026
The jury’s out on social media bans. Here’s a better idea NZ can borrow from Australia
Commentary: Protecting young people from the harms they can experience online is clearly important. But with so much foc...
26 Jul 2026
Time to modernise the institution of the opposition
Commentary: The terms ‘opposition' or 'leader of the opposition' get used constantly in political commentary, yet almost...
24 Jul 2026
Teachers and doctors are losing the ability to self‑regulate. What are the risks?
Commentary: Until recently, New Zealand legislation has recognised teachers, doctors and nurses as self-regulating profe...
13 Jul 2026
Cultural safety in healthcare is not ‘ideological’ – it is saving lives
Commentary: Introduced under urgency this month, the government’s latest proposed law change would increase the health m...
26 May 2026
The Winter Energy Payment is buying less warmth each year – could there be a better long‑term fix?
Commentary: As New Zealand enters the colder months of the year, more than a million Kiwis have begun receiving their go...
07 Apr 2026
Almost 200,000 New Zealanders are now living with long COVID – where is the government plan?
Commentary: A high prevalence of long COVID is perhaps the starkest reminder that the pandemic is far from over.