The Labour History Project launched an essay competition last year. The competition is running again in 2015 and entries close on Tuesday 2 June. See the attached flyer for details about the competition, closing date and prizes. The topic is ‘Another world is possible’ and you can read the 2014 prize winning essays here. The […]
On not reporting on greenhouse gas emissions
The government has made a decision not to report on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions as part of the package of statistical environmental reporting for the period starting 2015. The new reporting regime was announced today by the Chief Executives of Stats NZ and the Ministry for the Environment respectively, having been vetted by the […]
Universities and Scoop’s Licencing.
In the National Business review last week a story covered Scoop Media’s innovative licencing arrangements, which have been in place for a number of years. Rather than a paywall that excludes everyone who cannot pay, Scoop’s licencing conditions make the extensive database of NZ and overseas news stories […]
The crisis in New Zealand’s civil justice system
Printed version Barrister Frances Joychild has given Public Good permission to re-publish her article which appeared last week on the Auckland District Law Society website and in other legal publications. Frances’ paper looks at the issue of fair access to representation in civil legal cases and her evidence demonstrates that the situation for civil litigants […]
Needed: a public survey on social attitudes
I’ve just come back from living in England for six months last year. During the time I was there they had the referendum on Scottish independence. It was generally a pleasure to witness the quality of debate in print and broadcast media. Now we know the result of the referendum and while it wasn’t a […]
Fanning the #StepitUp flame
Print version of post The last weekend of November saw a weekend conference take place in Auckland. Stepitup’s purposed was to build capacity, capability and new skills amongst progressive campaigners and organisers in NZ. The conference was based around “the simple idea that we can do more and win more through cooperation, sharing resources and […]
Christmas Quiz – Characteristics of enlightened leadership
Printed version of this post Amber Blanco White was a writer, feminist and scholar who was born in 1887 and raised in Christchurch until she moved with her family to England in 1896. Her parents were the New Zealand social reformer William Pember Reeves and feminist and socialist Maud. At Cambridge she founded the University’s […]
Airways Lite coming soon to airspace near you.
Ed Sims, the Chief Executive of State Owned Enterprise (SOE) Airways Corporation, was interviewed on the business section of Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report programme in 9 September (2014) and revealed the thinking at the centre of the government’s policy on public ownership. Airways Corporation provides New Zealand’s Air Traffic Control services but only 40% […]
New Zealand’s industries have low productivity. Let’s help by privatising the public sector.
Printable version The Productivity Commission has been asked by the Government to review the Social Services Sector. Their brief is broad including social development, the education sector including schools, polytechnics and universities as well as hospitals and the wider health sector. The Commission’s role is to look at the policy, regulations and legislation that hamper […]
Are you happy with a ‘market for social services’ in New Zealand?
Image from the Productivity Commission’s issues paper. Printable version The Productivity Commission has been instructed by the government to work on delivering advice on legal and policy changes to support “More Effective Social Services”. The issues paper is open for submissions with a closing date of 2 December. The paper focuses on social services as […]
Is the quality of our democracy an election issue?
A well-attended conference in Wellington at the weekend heard and discussed a number of presentations which raised questions about the current quality of our democracy. The conference was hosted by the St Andrews Trust for the Study of Religion and Society and Public Good and the aspirations of many organisations and the approaches they are […]
Speakers announced – Democracy, ethics and the public good
The 2014 Geering Event (Details as at 24 July 2014) St Andrews on the Terrace Wellington Friday evening 1 August – 7.00 – 9.00 public seminar Friday evening’s speakers Rev. Dr Jim Cunningham is the interim Minister at St Andrews and the chair of the St Andrews Trust for the Study of Religion and Society. […]
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