Opinion | Why New Zealand’s Abortion Laws Are Not Guaranteed

Written by Tia Deb The US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade in 2022 made headlines worldwide. In Aotearoa, this emboldened anti-abortion activists to protest the then-new Abortion Legislation Act 2020 (1News, 2022). While unsuccessful in their endeavour to repeal the act, the legislation is still not as protected as many might assume. […]

Opinion | The Debt Crisis: Why Governments Must Face Fiscal Reality

Written by Liam Bendall One hundred trillion U.S. dollars is a figure so vast it defies comprehension. With that amount, you could buy Amazon 47 times over. You could end world hunger several times over. What may shock you, however, is that figure is roughly the equivalent of the combined government debt worldwide (International Monetary […]

Explainer | The 2025 Budget in a Nutshell

Editors’ note: all figures in the article can be found in the Summary of Initiatives document on the Treasury’s Budget2025 website. Written by Daniel Blundell The Government recently released their 2025 Budget, outlining where it will be spending New Zealanders’ money for the next fiscal year. For 2025/26, key aspects of the Budget include an […]

Explainer | Exploring the Regulatory Standards Bill

Written by Binoli Goonatillake Over its term so far, the coalition government has introduced a number of controversial bills, some of which have passed into legislation and some of which have not. The Regulatory Standards Bill, spearheaded by the leader of the ACT Party, David Seymour, was introduced to Parliament on 19 May 2025 and […]

Opinion | A Losing Bet: Are We Doing Enough to Prevent Gambling Harm in Young New Zealanders?

Written by Yeonsoo Son The 2023/24 New Zealand Gambling Survey paints a stark picture of escalating youth vulnerability: approximately 26,000 individuals aged 15 to 24 now fall within the moderate-to-high-risk categories for gambling-related harm (Health New Zealand, 2025). One in three secondary school students have gambled before (Rossen et al., 2013), and disturbing reports have […]

Explainer | Legally Prescribed: The Medicines Amendment Bill in Plain English

Written by Niamh Henwood The New Zealand Government introduced the Medicines Amendment Bill to the House of Representatives on the 31st of March this year, with the aim of improving and streamlining access to medication, both for patients and medical professionals. But what is the bill amending? How will access be improved and streamlined? What […]