The inquiry reports into Kiwi issues raised by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden are nearly complete. Gwyn's reports are likely to shed great light on how our intelligence agencies operate.
Read MoreBig Data – Good?
Big data can be used for good and it can be used for evil. Some recent public research illustrates the former but there are doubts about some private uses.
Read MoreWhy we should reject the politics of despair
A message to Kiwi politicians this election year: Must try harder
Read MoreWhen Donald calls Bill... make him an offer
Bill English has the chance to be heroic without indulging his inner Hugh Grant. He can be on the right side of history, China and even Ronald Reagan, if he seizes the moment
Read MoreThe No Man’s Land of Studying Distributional Economics
Economists and policy analysts have paid insufficient attention to the distributional consequences of change. Hence the rise of the angries.
Read MoreWhat Donald & Hillary can teach New Zealand
It's easy to play the anti-establishment and change cards or go on the attack. But the real challenge for our politicians and journalists is to allow voters to hear balance
Read MoreThree takes on Miller (the Brexit case)
R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union is going to keep constitutional lawyers in the UK (and elsewhere in the Commonwealth) very busy for the upcoming months and years. Here's my humble early offerings on it.
Read MoreWhat Do We Really Know about the Distribution of Wealth in New Zealand?
Far too much public commentary on wealth inequality obscures what is actually is going on.
Read MoreTrump Inaugurated: The con is on
Today's short and grim speech reinforces and reveals how Donald Trump will govern as the 45th US president, and it won't serve his people well
Read MoreWill Many Americans be Healthcareless without Obamacare?
What can we learn about health care systems and the US from the muddle that America is getting into over Obamacare?
Read MoreNational's 'right track' strategy for Election 2017
The rights and wrongs of National's election strategy will come down to three main points... and coalition partners
Read MoreOur Education System Seems to Be Struggling
International comparisons suggest that New Zealand secondary students are not doing well. It may even be that recent policy measures have worsened their performance.
Read MoreWhy Bill English booted Collins off Corrections
In many respects, Judith Collins has been the worst Minister of Justice and Corrections New Zealand has ever had. She had to go – even if that changes absolutely nothing about how the country deals with the drivers of crime or the growing prison population. And it won't.
Read MoreUnderstanding Truthiness
How does a post-truth world work? Some psychological findings may be useful. (The Oxford Dictionary definition of ‘post-truth’ is ‘Relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief’ The Dictionary labelled it the word of the year 2016.)
Read MoreMedia in a Post Truth World
A recent decision by New Zealand on Air in response to the changing media technologies raises a range of issues about how the platforms are used.
Read More2016: Hero & anti-Hero of the year
Who stood out for me this year? I want to talk about two people who changed the conversation, for better and worse
Read MoreWhat Are You Thinking, Stupid?
A book about two psychologists who have altered the way we think about the way we think.
Read More2016 in politics: A spinoff from The spinoff
The Spinoff last week asked me to consider the political highs and lows of 2016. So I did that and saw there first package come out over the weekend. So here are my thoughts on all that
Read MoreKicking the can down the road
Why is the Crown fighting a court case it knows it is very unlikely to win? Because doing so stops it from having to face cases it really would prefer not to deal with.
[Update: see important revisory note at post's end!]
Read MoreLetter to Bill
Your In-tray is piled high.
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