Since 2000, I have been testing a hypothesis that our traditional Westminster-derived model is under strain. My instincts have long been that we are beyond Westminster. To evaluate that hypothesis, I use the framework in Rhodes, Wanna and Weller’s Comparing Westminster (2009), from which I take five elements: parliamentary sovereignty, an opposition recognised as an…

Since 2000, I have been testing a hypothesis that our traditional Westminster-derived model is under strain. My instincts are that we are beyond Westminster. To evaluate that hypothesis, I use the framework in Rhodes, Wanna and Weller’s Comparing Westminster (2009), from which I take five elements: parliamentary sovereignty, an opposition recognised as an executive-in-waiting, collective…

For the last quarter-century, I’ve examined the hypothesis that Aotearoa’s Westminster-derived governance model is under increasing strain. The traditional pressure points remain relevant: the shift to mixed-member-proportional representation, evolving foreign policy alliances affecting parliamentary sovereignty, expanded use of associate ministers and undersecretaries, coalition dynamics challenging cabinet solidarity, inadequate regulatory scrutiny, and the growing influence of…

As we enter the third year of examining our governance model’s evolution, the central hypothesis remains: Aotearoa’s Westminster-derived system continues to show significant signs of strain. While most indicators remain consistent with last year’s assessment, two shifts warrant attention. First, there’s a marked decline in the Cabinet’s narrative capability. Despite considerable activity and policy implementation,…

The future of Māori health is here: The 2022 Aotearoa New Zealand health reforms (2022) In this 2022 comment for The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific, Annabel Ahuriri-Driscoll, Sarah Lovell, Lindsey Te Ata o Tū MacDonald, Kaaren Mathias and I consider the launch of Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority, on 1…

Decolonisation and public management in Aotearoa In this Monash University webinar on decolonising pedagogy, I responded to Michael Mintrom and Deirdre O’Neill’s paper on policy education in Australia and Aotearoa. I offered a working definition of decolonisation as a process: in public management terms, a process of ensuring institutions are of the place they seek…

A year ago, I posited that Aotearoa’s Westminster-derived governance model showed signs of systemic strain. The identified pressure points were numerous and significant: the transition to mixed-member-proportional representation, the expanded use of associate ministers and parliamentary undersecretaries, the integration of non-government ministers into the Cabinet, the frequent threats to cabinet solidarity by coalition partners, inadequate…

Aotearoa’s political and administrative landscape is undergoing a profound transformation that challenges its Westminster foundations. Multiple forces are driving this evolution: the complex dynamics of a post-colonial state, a hollowed-out public service increasingly reliant on non-state actors for delivery, and political parties struggling to attract high-calibre talent for senior positions. The strain on our traditional…

Raising waka, and not just yachts (2020) In this 2020 chapter for the Public Service Association’s Progressive Thinking series, Amohia Boulton and I argue that COVID-19 exposed how underprepared Aotearoa, and the world, was to detect and respond to emerging infectious diseases. At the same time, it revealed how well placed and effective institutions in…

Public Service Act 2020 and our post-colonial future (2020) In this 2020 commentary for Public Sector, written at IPANZ’s invitation while the Public Service Legislation Bill was before Parliament, I ask whether the new legislation will allow Māori to exercise rangatiratanga, and my answer is probably not. The Bill recognises that the public service has…