Politics + Society – Views & Research – The Conversation

NZ’s complex problems require visionary solutions, not quick fixes. Here’s how we can govern for the future

Jonathan Boston, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

NZ’s floated social media ban for under-16s could unite two groups that rarely agree

Alex Beattie, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

New Zealand is considering a ban on social media for youth under 16.

New Zealand is considering a ban on social media for youth under 16.

This ‘centrist’ party is rising in NZ polls. Will it prove power broker?

Richard Shaw, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University

Woman speaks with a microphone in front of an Opportunity Party poster

Woman speaks with a microphone in front of an Opportunity Party poster

Homelessness has been framed as a housing problem in NZ. The reality is more complex

Cordelia Stewart, Auckland University of Technology and Suzette Jackson, Auckland University of Technology

NZ’s retirement debate: Will tinkering today spell more trouble tomorrow?

Aaron Gilbert, Auckland University of Technology

Two men with arms around each other, on a beach, looking out at the ocean

Two men with arms around each other, on a beach, looking out at the ocean

NZ legalised homosexuality 40 years ago – but even today, justice issues remain

Kris Gledhill, Auckland University of Technology

Distance can no longer be NZ’s defence strategy. Could Japan be part of the answer?

Reuben Steff, University of Waikato

As NZ’s Chris Hipkins pursues power, what can he learn from Keir Starmer’s downfall?

Grant Duncan, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Chris Hipkins speaks to the media in front of a Labour campaign poster

Chris Hipkins speaks to the media in front of a Labour campaign poster

How drug demand in New Zealand and Australia is driving calls for the death penalty in Fiji

Kya Raina Lal, Auckland University of Technology

Police patrolling the streets of Suva, Fiji, as part of joint operations between police and the army as authorities target illicit drug networks.

Police patrolling the streets of Suva, Fiji, as part of joint operations between police and the army as authorities target illicit drug networks.

Will weakening Treaty provisions in NZ law create more problems than it solves?

Carwyn Jones, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

Māori sovereignty flags flying at a protest march

Māori sovereignty flags flying at a protest march

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NZ wants to end climate lawsuits. How does that sit with its international commitments?

Justin Sobion, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

New Zealand's parliament building

New Zealand's parliament building

Will NZ’s workplace safety overhaul cut red tape – or simply shift responsibility?

Danaë Anderson, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Chris Peace, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Joanne Crawford, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

Why the tax NZ never wanted to talk about is back on the political agenda in 2026

Irshad Ali, Auckland University of Technology

Why a US ‘freeloading’ claim has put the heat on NZ’s independent foreign policy

Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato

Chris Penk speaking at a lecture at the defence summit in Singapore

Chris Penk speaking at a lecture at the defence summit in Singapore

A woman looking out across Auckland harbour

A woman looking out across Auckland harbour

‘Show some gratitude’ – how this rhetoric shapes views on immigration, even for migrants

Ágnes Szabó, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Mary Breheny, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University

Cheaper fares won’t fix NZ’s public transport woes – and neither will a few extra buses

Timothy Welch, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau