New Zealand needs to be intellectually curious about what has taken place in the US under Donald Trump and what it may mean for our country. Trends in governance there can easily spread, writes former NZ prime minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer. The long and disgraceful end of Donald Trump’s tenure as president of the United … Read more
Win or lose, the shame of Donald Trump’s presidency will be a stain on the United States for years to come, writes former New Zealand prime minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer QC. Since the election of Donald Trump as President in 2016, the United States has endured much political agony. The election of 2020 does little … Read more
The public policy response to the Covid-19 crisis has been a great and instructive success, and Jacinda Ardern has proven herself a class above all predecessors as a communicator, writes former prime minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer QC. Plus: a note on the legal questions. The global phenomenon Covid-19 poses challenges for New Zealand public policy. … Read more
The 33rd prime minister of New Zealand pays tribute to the 34th, Mike Moore, who passed today. Mike Moore was a force of nature in New Zealand politics for many years. He was first elected to parliament in 1972 at an extraordinarily young age and was a backbencher in the 3rd Labour government. Although defeated … Read more
Former prime minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer QC has published two books with Andrew Butler calling for a written, codified constitution that sets out ‘in an accessible form and a single document the fundamental rules and principles under which New Zealand is to be governed’. A road trip and consultation attracted hundreds of submissions, but relatively … Read more
On the publication of a new memoir, former prime minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer pays tribute to historian Jock Phillips. Branded a dangerous, trendy lefty by Muldoon, Phillips has for many decades kept his intellectual navigation shining brightly. Making History – A New Zealand Story is a book that contains significant insights into New Zealand’s intellectual … Read more
Democracy around the world is under threat, and New Zealand is not immune. Here, government attitudes to official information are hampering democratic debate and accountability, writes Sir Geoffrey Palmer. Throughout the western world, democracy is facing challenging times. People are trusting politicians and political processes less than they used to. Brexit and Donald Trump are … Read more
Some say we have got it just right. Some are completely opposed. Others say we haven’t gone far enough. But the overall response to our project has been heartening, writes Geoffrey Palmer. While some may believe New Zealanders are never interested in constitutional matters, my recent meetings around the country prove that to be wrong. … Read more
The turmoil being witnessed in America at least illustrates the necessity of constitutional checks. It should spur New Zealand to adopt its own written, codified constitution, writes former prime minister Geoffrey Palmer The constitutional turmoil in the United States highlights the value of a written constitution in stopping governments from over-reaching their powers. There have … Read more
In June, Britain voted to leave the European union. The Brexit decision was entirely understandable, wrote former NZ prime minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer. Across western democracies, some sense of democratic renewal is needed to avoid alienation Originally published on June 29, 2016 Brexit resulted in my view from a break down in accountabilities. It is … Read more
The presidential election reveals a nation frightened, angry and lacking in confidence. The shockwaves will be felt far and wide, writes former NZ prime minister Geoffrey Palmer. First Brexit. Now Trump. The fault lines in the politics of western countries are becoming deep and profound. People are thinking the political institutions and methods are not … Read more
Local government is crucial and too often ignored. Our proposed constitution starts by recognising they need greater autonomy, explain Geoffrey Palmer and Andrew Butler. The local government elections for New Zealand conclude this week. We hope the voter turnout is high, although we worry it will not be. Local government is very important. But because … Read more
With recent efforts at drafting a constitution for New Zealand stalled, a new and engaging approach is called for. Geoffrey Palmer introduces a fresh project and its core principles. “A constitution is a human habitation. Like a city, it may preserve its life and its beauty through centuries of change. It may, on the other … Read more
The law needs to be changed to allow Lecretia Seales’ wish to determine when she died. But we must take care that such a measure would not be a slippery slope toward some ambiguous twilight zone, says Sir Geoffrey Palmer Lecretia Seales died of a cancerous brain tumour in Wellington on 3 June 2015. She … Read more
The Brexit vote is entirely understandable. In Britain and across western democracies, some sense of democratic renewal is needed to avoid alienation, writes former NZ prime minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer Brexit resulted in my view from a break down in accountabilities. It is entirely understandable. Having spent most of February in the UK when the … Read more