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Articles

I have written a number of policy-related articles which have been published in the Post and in the Herald.

"Bet responsibly" - what a joke ​​​​​

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The government should stop promoting gambling.

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Article published in the Sunday Star Times 9 August 2026

How much for a life? ​​​​​

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Transport and Pharmac-based values are problematic and inconsistent.

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Article published in the Post 8 July 2026

Earthquake-prone building advice flawed... again ​​​​​

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New strengthening regime fails two crucial tests.

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In my article I claim that MBIE's benefit-cost ratios for the existing and new regimes don't make sense.  My technical note explains how I reached that conclusion.

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Article published in the Post 25 May 2026

A room without a view in aged care​​​​​

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Should residents have to pay up to $82,000 a year?

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Published in the Post 17 February 2026

David Seymour's sympathy for a ruined retirement is far from adequate​

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It's not too late to provide compensation & financial support to owners of earthquake-prone buildings

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Published in the Post 21 November 2025

What will it take to stop the snitches?​

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The Government should implement Law Commission proposal on prison informants

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Published in the Post 17 October 2025

When trials go wrong​

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More should be done to prevent miscarriages of justice and get them overturned faster

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Published in the Post 1 September 2025

The catch-22 facing innocent prisoners​

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The Parole Board needs to do better for those who maintain their innocence

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Published in the Post 10 June 2025

Ministry for Regulation no match for ECE regulations​

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Review of early childhood education by Seymour's new Ministry fails to slash red tape  

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Published in the Post 28 April 2025

How the red-tape crusader is failing in his own mission​

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The Treaty Principles Bill fails to meet Seymour's tests of quality law-making  

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Published in the Post 15 January 2025

The smoke and mirrors of health funding​

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Is investment in our health system at a record high, as Luxon suggests, or is it being cut? 

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Published in the Post 17 December 2024

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Health NZ: a diagnosis and the first step to recovery

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The three causes of Health NZ's poor performance and budget blow-out, and what needs to happen now 

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Published in the Post 18 November 2024

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The tax debate that won't die - why we finally need to tax capital gains

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After mulling it over for 57 years, it's time for either National or Labour to bring us into step with the OECD by taxing capital gains

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Published in the Post 10 September 2024

How David Seymour can deliver faster access to medicines

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We will know Seymour is having an impact when there are fewer Givealitte pages and fewer people heading to Australia for treatment

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Published in the Post 7 August 2024

The false logic of the "need versus race" debate

 

Will sensible evidence-based policies be changed to comply with the coalition Government's "need, not race" mantra? 

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Published in the Post 27 May 2024

Slashing red tape around medicines

 

Will David Seymour be able to make it happen?

Published in the Herald 13 December 2023

Finger pointed back at WorkSafe in Whakaari Case

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How has WorkSafe been held to account for its failings?

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Published in the Herald 29 November 2023

Pre-election policy frenzy is not the worst of it

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Unfortunately, the ability to develop good policy has been lacking for some time

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Published in the Herald 7 September 2023

Lessons from a restructure: is it really worth it?

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Last year's health restructure illustrates many of the pitfalls of extensive remodelling

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Published in the Herald 4 August 2023

Barriers remain after scrapping $5 prescription charge

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Repeat prescriptions are costly for patients and a poor use of doctors' time  

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Published in the Herald 30 May 2023

Hit-and-miss official information access is mostly miss

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It is all too common for OIA requests to be mishandled and for information to be concealed.  

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Published in the Herald 27 April 2023

Too Little Too Late 

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The Health Minister lacks answers.  

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Published in the Herald 5 December 2022

Income insurance 

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It's not too late to get this right.  

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Published in the Herald 6 October 2022

Cost of living payment 

 

It's a fiasco but National has no answer.  

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Published in the Herald online 3 September 2022

Deciles affect only 3% of school funding 

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Will the 6 years of work to replace them be wasted?  

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Published in the Herald on 29 June 2022

Long-awaited review of Pharmac 

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What to look for in the final report, and why it matters.  

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Published in the Herald on 6 April 2022

Unemployment support 

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Forget about a new unemployment insurance scheme: just fix the scheme we have.  

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Published in the Herald on 25 February 2022

The disgusting state of Whangarei Hospital 

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The system for investment in our public hospitals needs radical change.  

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Published in the Herald on 29 November 2021

A new prescription for Pharmac 

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Too often it is left up to seriously-ill New Zealanders to fight for access to medicines that should be funded by the public health system.

 

Published in the Herald on 5 August 2021

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Has Andrew Little been sold a pup?

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The new health structure won't fix longstanding problems.

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Published in the Herald on 3 May 2021

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Simpson Review won't solve Canterbury DHB's problems 

 

Labour has said it will use the Review to make major reforms to our health system if re-elected, but how would that help?

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Published in the Herald on 28 August 2020

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EQC: just remove the cap 

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It is time to get rid of the EQC claim cap before the next disaster strikes.

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Published in the Herald on 6 August 2020

Stethoscope on the Cardiogram

Eight months is far too long to wait 

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Long waits for surgery are not inevitable and need to be addressed by the expert panel reviewing our health system.   

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Published in the Herald on 13 May 2019

Surgery

The elephant in the waiting room  

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To get surgery without the current very long waiting times, we should pay surgeons to work only in the public system 

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Published in the Herald 12 September 2018

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Abandoned Water Park

Continual restructuring - it's such a waste 

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Incessant restructuring of government agencies is getting in the way of better public services

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Published in the DomPost and The Press on 13 December 2018

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Justice Scale

12 years in court and still fighting

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Disabled adults and their carers deserve better financial support

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Published in the DomPost on 27 February 2018

Tax burden unfair on smokers 

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Addicted smokers are paying $2 billion extra in tax - $7,000 per year for a pack-a-day smoker 

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My first article was published in the DomPost on 28 December 2017

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