The Good Society is the home of my writing about how we can shape a better world together.
A detail from Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s Renaissance fresco The Allegory of Good and Bad Government
Stuff: On education, we know what Hipkins dislikes better than what he likes
For all the good intentions, little of the reform he has introduced would survive a change in government.
Stuff: Is the electorate in the mood for radical changes?
Incrementalism, radical or not, has ruled the roost. But the electorate might finally want something else.
Stuff: A brief history of the many times I changed my mind
We should all be readier to admit instances when we were wrong. Here’s a few of mine.
Stuff: The positive power of community connection
Our politics has strangely little to say about how people can lead better lives together.
RNZ: Chief Ombudsman's OIA inquiry another pointer to govt's lack of transparency
The latest Open Government Partnership “action plan” does little to advance open government, and has few meaningful actions.
Spinoff: Campaigning on economic security sounds dull, but it might be Labour’s best option
It offers Labour a coherent story - but will it stick?
Stuff: The jewellery tax ruse that gives people a free holiday
The New Zealand tax system has loopholes we should close – but we’ve done it before.
Money for Something: major report published on political donations reform
We recommend caps on large donations, greater transparency, and tax credits to encourage small donations from ordinary citizens.
Lightening the Load: the case for free healthcare in New Zealand
Primary care fees are a barrier to treatment, inequitable, and out of step with practice in most developed countries.