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…

The 2023 election delivered a message, but not the one some in Wellington appear to be hearing. Voters were not asking for austerity; they were asking for a course correction. It was, in my humble opinion, a vote to hold the previous government accountable, particularly for its handling of the pandemic and the years that…

I came across this report while reviewing public sector reform literature:Final Report: More Effective Social Services – The Treasury (2015) It’s not new, but it’s worth revisiting. Nearly a decade on, many of the issues it identified are still with us. The report is a sobering reminder of how hard it is to shift the…

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…

During the January break, whilst others were sensibly occupied with finding the sun and avoiding the rain, I found myself pondering legitimacy and trust in regulatory systems. This wasn’t merely academic wool-gathering: ACT’s proposals for regulatory reform have made these issues pressingly relevant. Reading Giandomenico Majone’s classic work on regulatory legitimacy from 1999, I was…

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…

Yesterday, two speeches caught my attention in response to the Prime Minister’s statement to the House about his priorities for 2025. Chris Hipkins and Chlöe Swarbrick, both leaders in the opposition, stepped forward to share their thoughts about the future. Their words painted a picture of what they believe should change in our country. Both…

When a government promises transformation, the smart money watches what they prioritise, not what they promise. Today’s Statement to Parliament is big on ambition – but separating the achievable from the aspirational will require a clear eye. Let’s cut to the chase. The infrastructure push has real teeth. Those 149 Fast Track projects aren’t just…

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…

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…

I chaired a webinar for members of Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi: Public Service Association so they could hear directly from politicians about their policies for the public service. We covered back office cuts, importance of ministers working positively with the service and the role of government. Check it out.

As a political scientist and policy consultant observing Aotearoa New Zealand’s evolving landscape, I want to expand on this crucial concept of the interregnum we are in. Gramsci’s observation about the space between what’s dying and what’s struggling to be born perfectly captures our current national moment. This isn’t just about political transition but fundamentally…

The Ombudsmen asked us to assist him with his systemic investigation into Ara Poutama Aotearoa | Department of Corrections. He found four key issues affecting Ara Poutama’s ability to make the changes that oversight agencies have been calling for: the way the institution managed reports and recommendations from oversight agencies; insufficient attention to obligations under…

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….

I love this whakataukī. It reminds me that understanding comes from knowing and welcoming the difference between similar things and people. I have heard a lot of korero this week about our golden age of public management. Many commentators assumed the 1980s public management reforms are our high point. Sadly, those people are wrong. Let…

Two years on from the Public Service Act 2020, I’m still asking: where is the change? We were told the Act would modernise the public service. It would be more connected, more accountable, and more aligned with the public good. It promised a shift away from the old siloed, transactional state of the 1980s, toward…