By Ellis Pike In the wake of the horrific Christchurch attacks on the 15th of March that killed 51 people, the government will be looking at introducing new laws that make social media platforms responsible for the content that is posted. Reasons for the Law One of the most horrifying aspects of the tragedy was… Read More Blog | The Speech Coin: Freedom v Hate
By Yi Xin Heng The state’s duty to intervene when situations go awry for children has been imprinted in the nation’s consciousness as early as 1890. However, the same recognition has not been extended to a group who experience abuse at a comparable rate – the elderly. Apart from experiencing a brief spike in… Read More Blog | Elder Abuse is Left in the Grey
By Jonathan de Jongh Due to continued disagreements and compromises behind the walls of the Beehive, several laws have been stopped in their tracks or have failed to even see the light of day due to party politics. The latest victim is the capital gains tax proposed by the Tax Working Group earlier this year.… Read More Blog | The Policy Graveyard: Where Controversial Laws Come to Die
By Jasper Poole In 2015, the Supreme Court of New Zealand became the unlikely scene of what is perhaps the first of many legal battles regarding the term “climate refugee”. It is this term that may identify one of the largest issues facing the world in the coming years as millions of people flee their… Read More Blog | Climate Refugees: New Zealand’s New Humanitarian Obligations in the 21st Century.
By Paul Simperingham What is the One Billion Trees Programme? The incumbent coalition government has set the goal of planting one billion trees in New Zealand by 2028 [1]. The initiative is led by Te Uru Rakau (Forestry New Zealand) and funded by the Provincial Growth Fund, a three billion dollar fund for investment in… Read More Blog | The One Billion Trees Programme: Demystified
By Matt Fletcher Last December, the Labour-led Government of New Zealand announced its intention to raise the national minimum wage to $17.70 per hour, effective on the 1st of April 2019 [1]. This rise of $1.20 serves as the most substantial minimum wage increase in over three decades, and is the most recent step towards… Read More Blog | The Labour Government’s Minimum Wage Ambitions: A Hindrance or Stimulus for Working-Class Incomes?
The Public Policy Club is looking for dedicated students to join the club as general delegates, content writers or to be a part of our High School Civics team. You will be working alongside various teams and members of the executive committee. We welcome applications from all faculties and year levels. The following positions in… Read More 2019 Delegate Applications Open
The Public Policy is opening Executive Committee positions for 2019! We are looking for passionate and self-led students to be a part of our team. In this role, you can work with other PPC team members to create content, competitions or events that increase youth engagement with public policy. You should be able to take… Read More Applications for PPC 2019 Executive Committee
Last month’s United Nations General Assembly revealed a stark division along New Zealand party lines. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern refused to sign the US-led initiative to reduce the consumption and production of drugs. Ardern cited the incumbent Government’s intention to adopt an approach to drug policy that treats it as a health issue. The National… Read More Blog | New Zealand and the Expanding Global War on Drugs
By Matt Fletcher The incumbent Government’s proposed Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill passed its first and second readings earlier this year and has strengthened its place as a point of contention within Parliament. The colloquially-named “Waka-Jumping Bill”, if signed into law, would seek to drastically alter the face of New Zealand’s legislature, as well as the… Read More Blog | The Waka-Jumping Bill and the Revival of Unsettled Parliamentary Divisions
