Reports & Media

In this episode, Michael talks with Doug Blackmur, former chief executive of NZQA, about the qualification model developed in the late 1990s and how it became NCEA. Their conversation ranges across the changes the model underwent, grade inflation in schools and universities, the argument for moving assessment to independent bodies, and the new system set to replace NCEA. Read more

In this episode, Michael talks with Ben Stallworthy about the war in Ukraine and what it reveals about the changing character of modern warfare, from the near disappearance of tanks and armoured vehicles to the rise of drone swarms and the first signs of drone-versus-human combat. They discuss Ukraine's strategy of trading ground to grind down Russian resources and pressure Vladimir Putin, the strikes on Russian oil, semiconductors and the supply routes into Crimea, and what the conflict means for a rearming Europe and the wider contest between autocracies and liberal democracies. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton talked to Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB about ACT's proposal for innovation trials, which would let the government temporarily suspend regulations to test new technology such as driverless cars, AI and drones. Dr Crampton supported the idea and said New Zealand should go beyond it by also recognising products already approved overseas, pointing to geothermal energy abundance and clinical trial abundance as promising areas to trial. Read more

Wellington (Tuesday, 14 July 2026) – New Zealand's two main warships will reach the end of their working lives within about a decade, and Cabinet must decide by 2027 what should replace them. The choice will shape the country's ability to help keep its trade routes open for a generation. Read more

In this webinar, we launch our new research note "Adrift: A Trading Nation, an Ageing Navy and the 2027 Frigate Decision". Author Major General (Retired) John Howard presents key findings on why a trading nation like New Zealand needs a frigate and what is at stake in the 2027 replacement decision, joined by commentary from Major (Retired) Tim Ewing-Jarvie. Read more