I wrote a submission respectfully opposing the Regulatory Standards Bill in its current form. I made the case that the Bill fundamentally contradicts concurrent public service reforms, which are very good and much needed. I argue that the Bill, despite the considerable effort invested in its development by dedicated officials, does not serve Aotearoa’s long-term…

Part 2 of 2: From liberal evolution to decolonial possibility In the first part of this exploration, we traced democracy’s ancient foundations, from Athenian assemblies to Pacific governance systems, from Confucian virtue politics to the collision between Indigenous sovereignty and European colonial states. We observed how different societies addressed the fundamental question of political authority…

Part 1 of 2: A constitutional argument across time, empires, and oceans Today I got into an argument. Not a loud one, just the quiet kind where you feel the ground shift and think, hang on, is this really where we are now? A well-meaning person was presenting their idea of democracy. It was a…

A plea from Ōtautahi. Can we stop using the phrase “bad apples” when discussing institutional problems? It is a tired cliché that has outlived whatever usefulness it might have once had. The idiom “one bad apple spoils the whole barrel” initially warned about how quickly rot spreads. Yet in contemporary discussions about institutional accountability, we’ve…

Regulation often gets a mixed reputation. Some see it as unnecessary red tape, slowing things down and making life harder for businesses and communities. Others worry that it’s too weak and fails to properly protect people and the environment. What both views have in common is frustration with regulation that seems disconnected from the real…

The collapse of the US administrative state is not just an American problem, it carries important lessons for Aotearoa New Zealand. As Washington grapples with political dysfunction and the erosion of public institutions, we should pay attention to how a weakened state apparatus invites economic instability, political turmoil, and diminished democratic control. For Aotearoa New…

What Cave Creek Still Has To Teach Us In 1995, a Department of Conservation platform collapsed in Paparoa National Park. Fourteen people died. The cause wasn’t just poor workmanship. It was poor public management. DOC, like much of the public service at the time, was under acute fiscal pressure. After years of cuts and restructures,…

Before I begin, I want to mihi to Hon Shane Jones. In the House yesterday, he reminded us of the first four rangatira who first stepped into Parliament on behalf of Māori. He did more than recite names: he called us to remember them properly, to see them as political actors who helped shape the…

Regulation is like plumbing. When it works, you don’t notice it. When it doesn’t, everything gets clogged, leaks, and starts to smell. The UK has decided to grab a wrench and fix the mess, while Aotearoa New Zealand is still standing around debating whether to call a plumber. The UK government has admitted its regulatory…

Let’s talk about the latest concern over Aotearoa New Zealand’s ministerial portfolios. Some commentators suggest we should reduce them because “other countries have fewer.” This is a bit like suggesting we reorganise our national parks based on how Denmark manages its forests. Now, don’t get me wrong, the critics are onto something real. They’ve noticed…

If you’ve ever worked in or around government, you’ve probably heard the debate: what really makes agencies perform well? Is it strong leadership? A solid strategy? More funding? Or something else entirely? A year ago I decided to dig into the data to find out. Using Spearman’s correlation (S test) and partial correlation (R test),…

When we examine Aotearoa New Zealand, through the lens of its institutions, we see a remarkable pattern of action and response between the Crown and Māori that continues to shape our nation. This narrative begins in 1840, but its echoes resonate powerfully in today’s political landscape. In the initial Te Tiriti period (1840-1860), the Crown…

Australia’s Robodebt scandal has become something of a cautionary tale: and for good reason. I’ve just finished reading the commission of inquiry. It wasn’t just a case of a system gone wrong. It was a full-blown failure of politics, public service ethics and culture and basic decency. And for those of us in Aotearoa New…

In the ever-evolving landscape of public governance, a new approach is catching attention across the seas in the United Kingdom. Called mission-led governance, it promises a fresh perspective on how institutions and organizations might better serve society. The core idea is compelling: what if our public institutions could genuinely prioritize social and environmental purposes alongside—or…

If you’ve been following this blog, or I have taught you, you’ll know I’m generally sceptical about the government’s capacity to deliver meaningful change. Only because, in my view, meaningful change is delivered by and because of communities. But occasionally, I see institutions that genuinely shift the dial. Te Puni Kōkiri is one such case…

Trust in public services is on the decline. This particular measure calls attention to a measure of ‘trust’ as the state is not doing harm. In addition, confidence in public services – due to an actual experience – is flatlining. A follower on blue-sky asked me why I didn’t comment on the private sector comparator….

The Royal Commission’s Report on Abuse in Care has landed on my desk, and its findings are devastating. As someone who has spent decades studying public policy and governance, I can tell you this: what we’re looking at isn’t just a collection of unfortunate incidents – it’s administrative evil in its purest form. Let me…

This is an apolitical post. It is about the effectiveness of machinery of government changes. As far as I know, the disestablishment of the Te Kōmihana Whai Hua O Aotearoa | Productivity Commission and Te Aka Whai Ora | Māori Health Authority are respectively the 501 and 502 machinery of government changes in Aotearoa-New Zealand…

If you want to understand whether a government is truly committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, look closely at how it values, funds, and heeds Te Puni Kōkiri – the Ministry of Māori Development. Te Puni Kōkiri holds one of the most complex and constitutionally significant roles in the entire New Zealand public service. Its…

People often ask why public institutions don’t perform as well as they should. My answer is simple. You cannot get efficiency or effectiveness unless Cabinet brings three basics to the table. First, clarity about what role government is meant to play in each policy area. Second, a strategy that cuts through the mess of today’s…

As the whakataukī suggests, not much is achieved without a plan and people to do the mahi. I’d add that not much is achieved without good governance. Here are some thoughts on public sector governance. I am not arguing for the models because they are not yet adapted in a Te Tiriti-led way. However, I…

Public institutions tend to reflect the society in which they are embedded. So it is for Aotearoa. Like it or not, in Aotearoa, our shared institutions reflect and will increasingly reflect Te Tiriti. Te Tiriti states the conditions under which Iwi, Hapū, Whānau, Whanui, Māori and the Crown agreed to cooperate in the development of…

When we talk about merit principle in the public service, it is usually treated as if it were a universal standard: a fixed measure of who is the best candidate. It often doubles as code for unelected officials get to make merit-based appointments because ministers are unable to. But merit has never worked like that….

Every few years, someone revisits the public sector reforms in Aotearoa and declares them a success story. They point to contractualism, outputs, ministerial purchasing power, purchaser-provider splits and accrual accounting. Maybe they even quote Allen Schick’s 1998 piece, “Why Most Developing Countries Should Not Try New Zealand’s Reforms,” waving it around like an endorsement. It’s…

In Aotearoa, public sector governance refers to the system by which over 4,000 public entities, including policy ministries, departments, Crown entities, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and sui generis organisations such as the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, are directed and controlled. The system includes all processes and behaviours that enable decision-makers to lead and guide public…