For me, the death penalty cannot be countenanced as an ordinary part of the justice system because, no matter how stringent the checks and balances, the risk of wrongful execution cannot be eliminated. Those concerns carry no less weight in the case of assisted suicide.
Read MoreIt's not the quid pro quo that's the problem, it's the personal interest
The impeachment hearings have fractured the Republicans’ defence of Donald Trump, but their second position that presidential quid pro quos are no big deal ignore one important difference about this president
Read MoreIs there a constituency for the Sustainable New Zealand Party?
The path ahead for Sustainability New Zealand looks rocky, not because of ingrained left-right ideologies, budgets or green politics… but because of confirmation bias
Read MoreAuthoritarian populism, the third way and the future of social democratic politics. Blog #7
Authoritarian populists can be found in governments throughout the democratic world. Where did they come from, can they be resisted and did the third way clear the way for populists to triumph?
Read MoreNo longer an operational matter: Armed police now must become a political decision
Now that the police’s new Armed Response Teams are being used for “lower risk” events and not just “critical or high risk incidents” and the government’s top justice advisor has stated police have probably made their minds up already on their ‘trial’, the arming of police has become a political hot potato government ministers can’t dodge
Read MoreIs Sustainable NZ an endangered species from its birth? Or are friends in the wings?
The biggest sustainability question to be answered by Sustainable New Zealand may be about the survival of the party itself. Can it strike a chord when the Greens have already moved to the right? Or could there be a deal beckoning in North Shore?
Read MoreSecular Stagnation?
Secular Stagnation is the notion that rich world economies are moving into of very low economic growth stage for a long period. What if that were true? (The economists' term ‘secular' means the long term of indefinite duration.)
Read MoreRegulating social media or limiting political debate?
There appears to be a whole lot of bother and proposed solutions for regulating social media use by politicians without anyone truly working out whether the consequences of regulation outweigh what actually can be achieved. Do we really want to put voter engagement at risk?
Read MoreWill They Take Wellingtin?
Is New Zealand destined to suffer the civil unrest of Chile with its youth concerns that things are not going well, that they are not being addressed, and that their future is being severely compromised?
Read MoreMike Bush as Dirty Harry: Well, do ya trust him, punk?
All year - before and after the Christchurch mosque murders - Police Commissioner Mike Bush insisted he had no plans to routinely arm police officers. So why, this week, has he just put routinely armed teams on the streets to police a third of all New Zealanders?
Read MoreThe Three Year Term is Too Short
The three year term has done its dash and in more complex times it’s time to change
Read MoreProgressive Pragmatists - New Zealand Labour and the Third Way. Blog #6
New Zealand Labour has the distinction of being a first, second and third way party. Sometimes all at once! But did it fully implement a third way platform? Maybe not. Maybe it is time to look again at what the third way, with its focus on civil society/community, has to offer. .
Read MoreAre We Doing Enough for Those on Low Incomes?
The IMF suggests it may be necessary to cut GST; it would be better to cut bottom income taxes.
Read MoreLessons from Labour’s Wellington Mayoralty Loss.
Justin Lester’s loss of the Wellington mayoralty may provide some lessons for Labour at a national level.
Read MoreReorganising the Governance of DHBs.
Electing local representatives to the governance boards of our hospitals is ineffective and farcical. We need a system which provides patients with better representation and support.
Read MoreFixing the local government snooze-fest
Why is there so little voter interest in local government elections? And how do we fix it?
Read More'Why Don't We Celebrate the Arrival of Tupaia in New Zealand?'
James Cook arrived in New Zealand accompanied by an impressive Tahitian chief and priest. Eurocentrically writing Tupaia out of our history distorts it and loses valuable lessons.
Read MoreBehind the Census
Data from the newly released augmented 2018 Population Census seems to be OK in quality terms. But there are some irritating gaps – and perhaps deeper problems..
Read MoreLike Saturn, the Revolution devours its children
It turns out that the real enemy of free speech in New Zealand is local government corporatisation. Who is going to tell Don Brash, Stephen Franks and Jordan Williams?
Read MoreThe Speaker did what now?
The Speaker has applied a silly rule to stop National making fun of Labour MPs on Facebook. That’s largely Simon Bridges' fault.
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