The population of New Zealand, along with those of other developed countries, is ageing rapidly. The rate of population ageing is unprecedented, with the number of New Zealanders aged 65 years and over projected to increase from 553,000 in 2009 to 1.07 million in 2031, and to 1.44 million in 2061. Importantly, the ratio of...

Historically, New Zealand has had relatively high rates of home ownership, with widely held aspirations for mortgage-free tenure in later life. As a consequence, examination of the small but growing numbers of older renters has been limited. This article draws together local research, commissioned policy development work and comparative evidence to identify the characteristics of...

Introduction: In the context of the 2013 retirement income review (CFLRI, 2013), Kathryn Maloney and Malcolm Menzies from the Commission for Financial Literacy and Retirement Income put the question to me: what does ‘a fair go’ mean in public policy? I mentioned this in a chance conversation with Colin James, who suggested tackling the question...

Sebastian Edwards (2013) wrote that when it comes to the economy New Zealand appears to exhibit ‘Woody Allen syndrome’. In most of Allen’s movies, he observed, the main character is leading what appears to be a charmed life (‘interesting friends, a nice apartment, and a well-paying job’) but he still worries a lot. New Zealanders...

In 2012 Transparency International New Zealand (TINZ) decided that during 2013 it would conduct a National Integrity System (NIS) assessment for New Zealand. New Zealand has always rated highly on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) published by Transparency International, and in recent years has consistently ranked first or first equal. However, the CPI is precisely...