Previous Events

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2008

Achieving Educational Reform in Schools without (Much) Rancor: Thursday 11 December 2008

The IPS with the School of Government, and in association with the Australia New Zealand School of Government, was pleased to host Ben Levin, Professer at the University of Toronto and Former Deputy Minister of Education who presented a seminar on Achieving Educational Reform in Schools without (Much) Rancor.

Dr Levin is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Education Leadership and Policy. He has just completed two and a half years as Deputy Minister of Education for the Province of
Ontario. He is a native of the City of Winnipeg who holds a BA (Honours) from the University of Manitoba, an Ed M from Harvard University and a PhD from OISE. Ben's career in education extends over many years, starting with his efforts while in high school to organize a city-wide high school students' union and his election as a school trustee in Seven Oaks School Division at the age of 19. Since then, he has worked with private research organizations, school divisions, provincial governments, and national international agencies, as well as building an academic and research career, all in connection with education. He has held leadership positions in a wide variety of organizations in the public and non-profit sectors. From 1999 until September 2002, he was deputy Minister of Advanced Education and Deputy Minister of Education, Training and Youth for Manitoba, with responsibility for public policy in all areas of education and training. Dr Levin is widely known for his work in educational reform, educational change, educational policy and politics. His work has been international in scope. His writings examine broad areas of education policy.

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New Zealand Economic and Social Policy in the Face of the Global Crisis: Saturday 22 November

The Institute of Policy studies presented a well-attended Saturday forum on New Zealand Economic and Social Policy in the Face of the Global Crisis.  The programme, organized by Geoff Bertram, opened with papers on banking and financial issues, including New Zealand’s high level of net international liabilities, and proceeded to a macro-economic discussion, including inflation targeting.  Brian Easton compared and contrasted the current situation with earlier financial and economic crises.  In the afternoon sessions speakers discussed social policy, focusing on the principles and priorities that should guide policy in times of mounting social distress.  The day concluded with a forward look at structural issues.

The magnitude and likely course of the current crisis is quite uncertain, as are the responses of the real economy to rapidly minted policy responses in the world’s major economies and in New Zealand.  In turbulent times policy makers must make judgement calls at short notice.  Hopefully the wider community can assist the process by ongoing commentary and analysis.  The Institute plans to publish a selection of the papers in Policy Quarterly.

The following topics were presented:

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Climate Change and Security: Planning for the Future: Friday 14 November

The Department of Politics at the University of Otago and the Institute of Policy Studies hosted this one day symposium in association with the Climate Change Research Institute and the Centre for Strategic Studies, both at Victoria University of Wellington.

The available evidence suggests that rapid climate change increases the risk of societal upheaval and coinflict.  Are we ready to deal with these challenges?  These and related questions were discussed at the symposium.  

A substantial background paper for the symposium has been prepared by Ewan Sinclair. This is now available as an IPS Working Paper - IPS W/P 08/11: The Changing Climate of New Zealand's Security: Risk and Resilience in a Climate Affected Security Environment

Download the presentation slides here:

 

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Post 2012 Climate Change Issues Roundtable Series for 2008

In 2007 the roundtable series focused on the following topic: The Post-2012 Global Policy Framework for Climate Change: Issues, Options and Implications for New Zealand. For a variety of reasons, departmental Chief Executives have agreed to fund a second year of IPS-led activities on post-2012 issues. The roundtable series in 2008 has two primary aims. First, it is designed to provide an opportunity for key stakeholders, including business, non-governmental organizations, research institutions and the public sector, to consider some of the critical issues surrounding the global policy architecture for addressing climate change after the expiry of the first commitment period (CP1) under the Kyoto Protocol. Second, it is envisaged that the ideas discussed during the series will help inform the New Zealand government’s negotiating position in forthcoming UN negotiations.

Issues that are likely to be addressed during 2008 include:

Tuesday 8 April: Key post-2012 issues for New Zealand, including the UNFCCC negotiating timetable, LULUCF issues, global warming potentials, and emissions trading (including linkage issues)

Tuesday 29 April: Sector-based approaches, including bunker fuels

Thursday 7 August: Key Economic Issues, including New Zealand's mitigation potential and ocsts, trade policy issues, etc

Thursday 13 November:Climate Change and Food Security Issues

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Creating a More Sustainable Urban New Zealand -Lessons from Hammarby Sjostad and Eco-Viikki: 11 November 2008

Eco-districts, eco-towns, low carbon developments and zero carbon housing are concepts that are moving from out of the policy agendas and drawing boards and into the light of day in some European countries. In England there is much debate about the proposed eco- towns - a policy response to climate change, the need for more sustainable living and increased housing supply. In Scandinavia, eco- districts are already under development and being 'tried out' by their first residents. Two exemplary Scandinavian eco-districts - Hammarby Sjostad (on a large brownfield site in Stockholm) and Viikki (on a greenfield site in Helsinki) - provide contrasting ways forward for urban New Zealand.

Tricia Austin has a long involvement with the development of policies, strategies and plans for increasing the supply of affordable housing in NZ. She was on Study Leave in Stockholm, Helsinki and England earlier this year. 

Her seminar presentation for the Institute of Policy Studies and School of Government on 11 November is available here Creating a More Sustainable Urban New Zealand: Lessons from Hammarby Sjostad and Eco-Viikki

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Election 2008 - Lunchtime Series: 13 October, 20 October, 3 November and 10 November

With 2008 being an election year in New Zealand, the IPS hosted a special series of lunchtime lectures during October and early November on Election 2008.

Monday 13th October: Professor Pat Walsh - Tertiary Education Funding – with an
Election in Mind

Monday 20th October: Kim Workman, Commentator: Professor Chris Marshall - Politics and Punitivenes – Overcoming the Criminal Justice Dilemma

Monday 3rd November: Derek Gill, Commentators: Ross Tanner and Brenda Pilott - The State of the State, Co-sponsored by IPANZ

Monday 10th November: Professor Nigel Roberts, Commentator: Professor Jonathan Boston - Assessing the Results

Download the papers here:

Kim Workman - Politics and Punitivenes – Overcoming the Criminal Justice Dilemma

A brief commentary on Kim Workman's presentation

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Spring 2008 Lecture Series, New Zealand: Future Maker or Future Taker?
2 Sept, 9 Sept, 16 Sept, 23 Sept, 30 Sept, 7 Oct and 14 Oct 2008

New Zealand has both the legacy of a developed country with the associated infrastructure, and the reality of being a small player, with a limited resource base. There is a risk that, rather than being ‘future maker’, New Zealand will be consigned to being a ‘future-taker’ and thus constrained to paths that it would not have consciously chosen.

This lecture series casted new light on the opportunities, challenges and big questions facing New Zealand over the next 20 years. We assembled a distinguished line-up of speakers and commentators who discussed the prospects facing New Zealand in key policy areas.

This lecture series celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Institute of Policy Studies. At the final session, the FutureMakers project – a partnership of the Institute of Policy Studies, Secondary Futures and Landcare Research – was launched.

Download the lectures and papers here:

2 September: Professor Gary Hawke – “Aligning education with our contemporary society and economy”, Commentator: Howard Fancy, Chair: Sir Frank Holmes, Refreshments provided at the conclusion. Download the lecture here.

9 September: Colin James – “Take me to your leader: the constitution in 2033” Commentator: Hon Shane Jones, Chair: Dr Matthew Palmer. Download the lecture here.

16 September: Dr Arthur Grimes – “The Role of Infrastructure in Developing New Zealand’s Economy”, Commentator: Geoff Dangerfield, Chair: Dr Alan Bollard.
Download the paper here and the slides here.

23 September: Professor Claudia Scott – “Enhancing Quality and Capability in the Public Sector Advisory System”, Commentator: Iain Rennie, Chair: Dr Jackie Cumming. Download the paper here and the slides here.

30 September: Professor Martin Manning – “Climate Change: What’s the Problem?”, Commentator: Rt Hon Simon Upton, Chair: Professor Jonathan Boston. Download the slides here.

7 October: Dr Andrew Ladley – “No state is an island - New Zealand and the South Pacific”, Commentator: Assoc Professor, Tagaloa Peggy Fairbairn-Dunlop, Dr. Peter Adams, Chair: Simon Murdoch. Details on the publication discussed and launched at this occasion can be found here. Download Associate Professor, Peggy Fairbairn-Dunlop’s response here.

14 October: Professor Mason Durie – “New Zealand in 2030: Future Maker or Future taker? Insights and questions from the FutureMakers project ”, Commentator: Roger Dennis, Chair: Derek Gill, Refreshments provided at the conclusion. Download the summary here. For details on the FutureMakers project and to join the discussion please go to http://futuremakers.ning.com/.

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2008 Tertiary Education Management Conference, Christchurch, 29 September - 1 October

Professor Jonathan Boston gave one of the keynote addresses at the 2008 Tertiary Education Management Conference (TEMC) in Christchurch on Monday 29 September. The conference was attended by well over 600 tertiary managers from Australian and New Zealand institutions, along with delegates from a number of other jurisdictions. The theme of Professor Boston's talk was 'The Challenge of Climate Change: Responsibilities of Tertiary Institutions'. He noted that while many tertiary institutions in Australia and New Zealand have developed environmental strategies in recent years covering such areas as building design, waste management, energy conservation and water management, very few have set specific targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and thus far it appears that only Melbourne University is committed to achieving zero carbon emissions (by 2030). Victoria University of Wellington has recently considered the option of carbon neutrality, but has thus far rejected this goal -- partly due to the likely cost (estimated at around $130K - $250K per annum). Professor Boston's slides are available here.

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Forum on Measuring Research Performance: What are the Options?, 18 September 2008

Measuring research performance is inherently difficult. The Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) in New Zealand is one of a number of approaches used internationally for evaluating the quality of research and then allocating public funding on the basis of the assessed quality.

A distinguishing feature of the PBRF is the incorporation of both peer review and two quantitative measures of performance – research degree completions and external research income. The aim of this ‘mixed model’ was to secure a balanced picture and avoid some of the obvious pitfalls associated with schemes that rely exclusively on either peer review or quantitative measures.

But it is important to be alert to possibilities and options for enhancing the mix of measures in the PBRF. Among suggestions have been proposals to rely to a greater extent on quantitative measures of research performance, including the use of citations and other bibliometric indicators.

This forthcoming forum Measuring research performance – what are the options? will provide an opportunity to consider some of the wider options for assessing the research performance of New Zealand’s tertiary education organizations, including a greater reliance on metrics of various kinds. The aim is not to come up with a different model for assessing research quality in 2012. Rather, the purpose is to explore and critically assess the policy proposals under discussion elsewhere, and consider whether any of these (and related options) might be applicable in the New Zealand context and hence worthy of further analysis and debate, including possible implementation post-2012.

Download the presentations here:

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25th Anniversary of the Institute of Policy Studies and 2008 Spring Lecture Series

On Tuesday 2 September, the Institute of Policy Studies marked its 25th anniversary with the launch of the 2008 Spring Lecture Series. The first lecture was given by Emeritus Professor Gary Hawke, a former Director of the IPS and former head of the School of Government. The theme of his lecture was "Aligning education with our contemporary society and economy". Howard Fancy, a former Secretary of Education, was the commentator, and Sir Frank Holmes chaired the session. The lecture was attended by more than 120 people, many with long-standing connections to the IPS. The opening remarks by Professor Jonathan Boston, the new Director of the IPS, are attached, as is the speech by Professor Hawke.

Download here:

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Symposium: MMP and the Constitution: 15 years past; 15 years forward: 26 & 27 August 2008

The Institute of Policy Studies, Victoria University of Wellington organised this event in conjunction with the New Zealand Centre for Public Law, Victoria University of Wellington

New Zealand's political and constitutional system is notable for its adoption of the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting. This year marks 15 years since the public referendum adopting this form of proportional representation, with the country facing its fifth general election under MMP. The shift to MMP "represents the greatest change to the New Zealand constitution" in recent years. The 15th anniversary of the referendum on MMP provides an opportunity to undertake a constitutional stock-take – to review the effect of MMP on the constitutional fabric of the country. The anniversary also provides the opportunity to look forward – to assess the likely constitutional challenges that MMP presents in the next 15 years. A similar voting system has been adopted in the National Assembly for Wales and Scottish Parliament, with continuing calls for a form of proportional representation to also be adopted for the British Parliament. The lessons learned – and challenges faced – by New Zealand with its system of proportional representation will therefore be of particular interest to the United Kingdom audience. The symposium will be video-cast between London and Wellington, with speakers and panellists from both centres contributing to the evaluation of the effect of proportional representation on the Westminster form of government. Constitutional and political experts from New Zealand will reflect on the effect on the parliamentary process, political parties, and the operation of the Executive, with United Kingdom and European experts providing comparative perspectives on proportional representation. Speakers will also explore future political and constitutional challenges – both in New Zealand and other jurisdictions – presented by MMP and proportional representation generally.

Papers and presentations are available online: http://www.victoria.ac.nz/NZCPL/events/e1008.aspx

Donwload paper presented by Prof Philip A Joseph here.

Donwload paper presented by Stephen Levine and Nigel S. Roberts here.

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Emission Trading and the Architecture of Domestic Climate Change Policy: Friday 22 August

On the 22nd of August, The School of Government in along side the Institute of Policy Studies and the Embassy of the United States of America hosted a seminar Emission Trading and the Architecture of Domestic Climate Policy by Professor Michael Hanemann.

Michael Hanemann, an economist, is a Chancellor’s Professor of Environmental Economics and Policy in the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics and the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley. His fields of interest are environmental economics and policy, water economics and policy, and climate change economics and policy. He is recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on nonmarket valuation (the valuation in monetary terms of items such as environmental protection, health, cultural monuments etc) and on the economics of water. He has directed the California Climate Change Center at UC Berkeley, which was established in 2003 to analyze policy issues relating to impacts of climate change on California, including those on water, agriculture; energy, human health, coastal resources and natural ecosystems, and economic policies for reducing carbon emissions in California. He codirected the 2006 Climate Change Scenarios Project for the state of California. Professor Hanemann has a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University, an M.Sc (Econ) in Economics from the London School of Economics, and a Ph.D in Economics from Harvard University.

Download seminar presentation here.

More research documents by Professor Hanemann:

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Concluding Sigrid Rausing Fellowship Public Lecture - ‘Capturing’ the judiciary in Zimbabwe – how it was done and how it might be undone: Wednesday 20 August 2008

The Institute of Policy Studies and the New Zealand Centre for Public Law, Victoria University of Wellington was very pleased to host the Concluding Sigrid Rausing Fellowship Public Lecture ‘Capturing’ the judiciary in Zimbabwe – how it was done and how it might be undone by the Sigrid Rausing Visiting Fellow Benjamin Paradza at 5.30pm on Wednesday 20 August at Rutherford House.

The lecture was timely, as together with much of the senior levels of the public sector in Zimbabwe, a nervous judiciary is watching the current talks taking place about some sort of power-sharing or transition. They fear exposure. This lecture detailed the mechanisms by which the judiciary was initially threatened such that many judges resigned or left in fear, and others were then ‘captured’ by  combinations of gifts (farms, mostly) and threats.  Understanding these processes is crucial to future steps to rebuild a semblance of confidence in the independence of the judicial branch of the constitutional system. Dr Andrew Ladley, former Director of the IPS, opened the event on behalf of the Dean of Law Tony Smith, the Head of the School of Government Terry Stokes and IPS Acting Director Jonathan Boston. Justice Lowell Goddard chaired the event. Dr David Collins, the Solicitor General, closed the lecture with some reflective comments, having chaired the first lecture in 2007.

Benjamin Paradza is a refugee in New Zealand.  In 2006 he fled from his position as a High Court Judge in Zimbabwe in fear of his life and safety. He had been subjected to charges and a trial criticised internationally as being trumped up to remove him from office.  He held  the Sigrid Rausing Visiting Fellowship at Victoria University for two years from June 2006-June 2008.

This lecture honoured Sigrid Rausing, a London-based Swedish philanthropist who supports defenders of human rights persecuted for their work and who provided the funding for this Fellowship.

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Social Mobility Guest Lecture Series, 4 August, 11 August, 18 August and 20 August 2008

Co-hosted by the Institute of Policy Studies and the Treasury

As part of its ongoing work on social mobility, the Treasury, in conjunction with the Institute of Policy Studies at Victoria University, is hosting a series of guest lectures. This is an opportunity to hear leading academics from a wide range of disciplines give their perspectives on social mobility issues in New Zealand. A full list of dates, times, topics and presenters is available here.

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Post-2012 Burden Sharing Symposium: Tuesday 29 July

Post-2012 Burden Sharing Symposium: How should the costs of mitigating and adapting to climate change be shared by the international community?

Jointly hosted by the Institute of Policy Studies and the Climate Change Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington, and the National Centre for Research on Europe, University of Canterbury
Further details can be found at http://www.eucnetwork.org.nz/activities/seminars/indexbss.htm

Post-2012 Burden Sharing Symposim Summary

Hon David Parker's speech

Download slides from symposium here:

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Towards a New International Agreement on Climate Change: From Bali to Copenhagen Seminar: Monday 28 July

The Institute of Policy Studies and the School of Government invite you to a seminar Towards a New International Agreement on Climate Change: From Bali to Copenhagen
Professor Lavanya Rajamani

Lavanya Rajamani is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi. She is an international lawyer specializing in environmental law and policy. She was previously University Lecturer in Environmental Law and Fellow and Director of Studies in Law at Queens' College, Cambridge, and before that Junior Research Fellow at Worcester College, Oxford. She has a B.C.L and D.Phil from Oxford where she held a Rhodes scholarship, an LL.M from Yale, and a B.A, LL.B (Hons) from the National Law School of India University. She has authored a Monograph on Differential Treatment in International Environmental Law (OUP, Clarendon Press, 2006) and numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals including the Yearbook of International Environmental Law and the Journal of Environmental Law. In her current research she explores ways of further integrating developing countries into international environmental regimes, in particular the climate change regime, and studies national laws and policies in select developing countries (Brazil, China and India) implementing international climate change law. She works as a consultant to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat, and has worked with the UNDP, the World Bank, the Alliance of Small Island States, and the International Institute of Sustainable Development.

Please download the presentation from Dr Lavanya Rajamani here.

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Energy, Transport and Sustainability Symposium: Thursday 26 and Friday 27 June 2008

Energy, Transport and Sustainability: Discovering Pathways to 2040 was a two-day symposium showcasing New Zealand energy transport research and facilitating discussion on research and policy priorities. It was be held at Rutherford House in Wellington on June 26 and 27 2008.

New Zealand faces serious challenges in moving to a sustainable transport system. Significant changes will be needed in fuel sources, transport networks, vehicle types, behaviours, expectations, institutional and market structures, policy settings, freight logistics, energy networks, urban form and information systems.

Research and innovation will be key drivers of these changes. Much will depend on research that develops solutions to NZ’s unique mix of circumstance. There is an urgent need for accurate science and technology information to inform transport energy decisions at all levels. There is also an urgent need for the research and policy communities to engage in the critical debates that ensure policy directions are supported by the best available science

Opportunities for transport energy researchers to come together to talk about their research are rare. So, too, are opportunities for the research and policy communities to discuss mutual interests. Energy, Transport and Sustainability: Discovering Pathways to 2040 is a vital opportunity to engage with and build a robust transport energy research environment with strong, effective links to the policy community.

This symposium was made possible through collaboration between NERI and the Institute of Policy Studies at Victoria University of Wellington, with sponsorship from the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Economic Development, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority and Land Transport New Zealand.

Download slides from symposium here:

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Apologies and perceptions of forgiveness in restorative justice conferences for young offenders seminar: Monday 23 June

The Institute of Policy Studies hosted a seminar entitled Apologies and perceptions of forgiveness in restorative justice conferences for young offenders presented by Dr Hennessey Hayes, Griffith University on Monday 23 June at the Railway West Wing.

Restorative justice conferencing for young offenders is now firmly established in Australian juvenile justice and has been subject to a substantial amount of empirical scrutiny.  Results from research are largely consistent and show that young offenders generally are satisfied with conferencing processes and regard them as procedurally fair.  There also is evidence to suggest that conferences have the potential to reduce further offending. 

Some advocates highlight the importance of the apology-forgiveness sequence in restorative justice conferences for achieving these successful outcomes.  Indeed, this has been described as “the core sequence” (Retzinger and Scheff 1996).  In this paper I assess the veracity of this claim.  During 2005 I observed several (n=50) restorative justice conferences in Southeast Queensland (Australia), as well as conducted in-depth interviews with young offenders following their conference. 

Observational data show that forgiveness occurred in a surprising minority of conference encounters.  However, analyses of the narrative data suggest that a substantial proportion of young offenders perceived forgiveness from their victims.  While victims often were reluctant to offer forgiveness (e.g., in the form of spoken words or gestures), many did overtly accept apologies.  Accepting an apology likely is not the same as forgiveness for victims.  Nonetheless, having an apology accepted often was perceived by young offenders as forgiveness and remained important for young offenders in achieving a restorative outcome.

Dr Hayes is a Senior Lecturer at Griffith School of Criminology and Criminal Justice in Queensland.  He has been researching and writing in the areas of restorative justice, youthful offending and recidivism for nearly a decade. His current work includes a major qualitative study of young offenders in youth justice conferences with a focus on what young people understand about restorative justice processes and how such knowledge relates to future behaviour.

Powerpoint slides from seminar

Hennessey Hayes (2006) 'Apologies and Accounts in Youth Justice Conferencing: Reinterpreting Research Outcomes' Contemporary Justice Review 9(4), pp. 369–385

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Lunchtime Panel Discussion - How Do We Decarbonize the World?: Thursday 5 June 2008

The Institute of Policy Studies and the Climate Change Research Institute at the School of Government of Victoria University hosted a lunchtime panel discussion as part of the World Environment Day programme. It was held on Thursday 5 June at Rutherford House. Speakers include Dr Rajendra Pachauri, Achim Steiner, the Hon David Parkerand President Anote Tong of Kiribati. The discussion will the chaired by Chris Laidlaw.

For further information, please read the report by Paule Stephenson and Jonathan Boston.

World Environment Day Business Symposium - Towards a Low-Carbon Economy: Business Opportunities and Innovative Solutions: Wednesday 4 June 2008.

This symposium, hosted by the Institute of Policy Studies and the Climate Change Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington and funded by the Ministry for the Environment, is one of many events that were hosted by New Zealand on behalf of the United Nations’ World Environment Day programme. It was held on Wednesday 4 June at the main hall of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Westhaven Auckland. the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Helen Clark, is to opened the symposium which also featured Dr Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and leading business figures and government advisors who examined the challenges the opportunities and some of the solutions being developed in New Zealand and world-wide to answer the questions posed to business by climate change. These were panelists and speakers at the sharp end of mitigating climate change, managing its affects on their businesses and identifying the opportunities that may arise through new technology or their own management of the issues. Among those leading the discussions over two sessions were Fonterra Chief Executive Andrew Ferrier, Contact Energy CEO David Baldwin and Secretary to the Treasury, John Whitehead. The audience was also treated to a special appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Governor of California, via video link.

For more detail on this event, please read the report by Paule Stephenson and Jonathan Boston

Links and downloads

Helen Clark's opening address

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's address

John Whitehead's speech

Photos are displayed with the permission of the NZBCSD/NZ Herald

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Honourary Doctorate awarded to IPS Senior Associate Colin James: Friday 16 May

Victoria University of Wellington has given political journalist Colin James an honorary doctorate in literature at the May 16 graduation ceremony, for his "'major contribution to the public's understanding of New Zealand politics and business, based on a profound knowledge of the country's political, social and economic history."

For Colin's graduation address, please click here

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Seminar on Executive Power and the Head of State Current Arrangements and Some Republican Alternatives: Friday 16 May

The School of Government and Institute of Policy Studies was pleased to host the seminar entitled Executive Power and the Head of State Current Arrangements and Some Republican Alternatives presented by Dennis Rose and held in the boardroom of Rutherford House on Friday 16 May. Despite suggestions that New Zealand should become a republic there has been little public discussion about what, if any, shifts in institutional powers might accompany patriation of the New Zealand head of state. Dennis Rose, a research economist with long-standing interests in civil liberties, constitutional issues and democratic process, and currently an associate at the Institute of Policy Studies, contrasted the role and powers of the head of state under current arrangements with some republican alternatives. These include; appointed and elective presidencies; semi-presidential systems in which the president shares executive power, and fully presidential systems along American lines.

Dennis' paper Executive Power and the Head of State: Issues arising from proposals to establish a republic is available to download here

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IPS Acting Director Jonathan Boston spoke at the Institute for the Study of Competition and Regulation (ISCR) on climate change issues- Tuesday 15 April 2008

Should New Zealand Fight Climate Change? Boston and Meade Debate the Issues

New Zealand is about to implement the world’s first “all sectors, all gases” emissions trading scheme, yet the country emits only 0.2% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions, and not all the impacts of climate change on New Zealand are predicted to be negative. On the other hand, New Zealand’s export and tourism sectors face threats from growing consumer concerns over “food miles” and “air miles”, and international pressure is needed to ensure that major emitters do something before countries vulnerable to climate change further suffer its effects. Is New Zealand’s response to climate change warranted, inadequate, excessive or counter-productive? Jonathan Boston of the Institute of Policy Studies, and Richard Meade of the New Zealand Institute for the Study of Competition and Regulation put New Zealand’s response to climate change to the test at very popular lunch time debate held at Rutherford House on Tuesday 15 April 2008.

Should New Zealand Fight Climate Change? Download Jonathan's speech here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Book review of the IPS publication Restorative Justice and Practices in New Zealand: Towards a Restorative Society

Please click here to read the following review on the IPS publication Restorative Justice and Practices in New Zealand: Towards a Restorative Society edited by Gabriel Maxwell and James Liu from Andrew Wright at the Prison International Fellowship.

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