Reports & Media

Should judges stick to applying the law, or should they reshape it to reflect society’s values? This fundamental tension over judicial power was laid bare at a New Zealand Law Society webinar this month about what it takes to become a High Court judge. Read more

For decades, Australian advocates for indigenous reconciliation have pointed to New Zealand’s Treaty of Waitangi as a model. Where Australia lacks a foundational agreement with its First Nations peoples, New Zealand has had one since 1840. Read more

Getting from Auckland to Cathedral Cove means a two-and-a-half-hour drive over 178 kilometres, the last third of which is a windy path through the Coromandel. Inland Revenue sets a $1.04 per kilometre mileage rate for business travel – a figure meant to include wear and tear on your vehicle as well as running costs. Read more

The Ch'íyáqtel First Nation near Chilliwack, British Columbia, is tiny. The Band counts 731 members, some 58% of which live on Ch'íyáqtel lands. Read more

All my friends sometimes skip school. For my school ‘think tank’ project, I decided to explore why they do so, and to propose some ideas for reducing the behaviour. Read more

One really ought to seek professional help for following German politics from Wellington. Like all addicts, I have a splendid rationalisation: My fortnightly column on European affairs for Newsroom requires me to stay informed about German politics. Read more

Every Wednesday, New Zealand Initiative staff meet to discuss our columns for the week. It is part of our routine. Read more

If you think you understand something pretty well, here’s a fun exercise. Explain in detail how the thing works, including how one part causes another part to move. Read more

It all began with a selfie. Four beaming politicians captured their own optimism in the late German autumn of 2021. Read more

In his victory speech, Donald Trump promised Americans a new “golden age”. While he had the numbers to win the election, the economic realities he faces will make delivering on his promise challenging. Read more

Some Australian scandals never get the New Zealand coverage they deserve — which is a shame, as they can tell us much about our neighbours. Qantas’s Chairman’s Lounge debacle is a case in point. Read more

Every year in New Zealand, around 62,000 young people leave school. Just 6% of them enter apprenticeship training. Read more