NZ Labour has promised to set up a PBO, what lessons can it learn from the Australian experience.
In 2011 and 2012 I worked on the establishment of Australia’s PBO. While it is... now part of the institutional furniture, getting it established was a hard-fought battle. I remember late nights sitting in the advisers’ box in the Australian House of Representatives as MPs fought over competing bills, argued over confidentiality and independence, and voted on amendments well into the night.
In this piece for the New Zealand Herald I argue that Labour is right to call for a PBO but setting one up won’t be easy.
In 2011 and 2012 I worked on the establishment of Australia’s PBO. While it is... now part of the institutional furniture, getting it established was a hard-fought battle. I remember late nights sitting in the advisers’ box in the Australian House of Representatives as MPs fought over competing bills, argued over confidentiality and independence, and voted on amendments well into the night.
In this piece for the New Zealand Herald I argue that Labour is right to call for a PBO but setting one up won’t be easy.
It also picks up some points I made 10 years earlier in another piece for the New Zealand Herald on an earlier proposal for a PBO.
A referendum is not a time machine
New Zealand’s last election under the first past the post electoral system took place in November 1993. Almost 33 years later the electoral system is now back at the centre of political debate. First, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon proposed another referendum, then Te Pāti Māori opened a new debate on tactical voting and the way MMP treats overhang seats.
My Newsroom article explores whether reverting to FPP would also see a reversion to single-party governments.
New Zealand’s last election under the first past the post electoral system took place in November 1993. Almost 33 years later the electoral system is now back at the centre of political debate. First, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon proposed another referendum, then Te Pāti Māori opened a new debate on tactical voting and the way MMP treats overhang seats.
My Newsroom article explores whether reverting to FPP would also see a reversion to single-party governments.
Has the UK just chosen its next PM: the view from Makerfield
In June 2026 I found myself in Lancaster while the Makerfield by-election was taking place. I took a road trip to some of the towns in the constituency and filed this report for Newsroom: https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/06/22/the-9231-voters-who-may-have-chosen-uks-next-pm-and-why-it-matters-to-nz/
In June 2026 I found myself in Lancaster while the Makerfield by-election was taking place. I took a road trip to some of the towns in the constituency and filed this report for Newsroom: https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/06/22/the-9231-voters-who-may-have-chosen-uks-next-pm-and-why-it-matters-to-nz/
Australia’s 2026 Budget widens capital gains tax: What does it mean for NZ?
With New Zealand heading into a 2026 election where Labour’s proposed capital gains tax proposed (narrowly focused on investment property) is sure to be a major issue of debate, I look at what Australia’s change to increase the reach of its capital gains tax across asset classes might mean for New Zealand.
Read the full article on Newsroom: https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/05/13/australian-budget-widens-capital-gains-tax-what-does-it-mean-for-nz/
With New Zealand heading into a 2026 election where Labour’s proposed capital gains tax proposed (narrowly focused on investment property) is sure to be a major issue of debate, I look at what Australia’s change to increase the reach of its capital gains tax across asset classes might mean for New Zealand.
Read the full article on Newsroom: https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/05/13/australian-budget-widens-capital-gains-tax-what-does-it-mean-for-nz/
Just because information has been released under the OIA doesn’t mean we can find it
Following an announcement from the New Zealand Government that it was reviewing the administrative burden of Official Information Act requests, I argued that the real issue is how information is released and made accessible https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/04/10/its-official-that-doesnt-mean-its-discoverable/
Following an announcement from the New Zealand Government that it was reviewing the administrative burden of Official Information Act requests, I argued that the real issue is how information is released and made accessible https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/04/10/its-official-that-doesnt-mean-its-discoverable/
AI politicking isn’t coming – it’s already here, and proving hard to regulate
Artificial intelligence is already shaping election campaigns. Europe’s experience shows that heavy regulation alone has limits, but doing nothing is not a viable response. In this piece for Newsroom https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/02/13/ai-politicking-isnt-coming-its-already-here-and-proving-hard-to-regulate/ I discuss the early findings of my research with Dr Nicky Gillibrand subsequently published and discussed further at: https://www.marcusganley.com/content/use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-european-union-elections-lessons-for-new-zealand
I also discussed this research with Emile Donovan on RNZ Nights https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/nights/audio/2019023263/are-we-ready-for-ai-this-election-year
Artificial intelligence is already shaping election campaigns. Europe’s experience shows that heavy regulation alone has limits, but doing nothing is not a viable response. In this piece for Newsroom https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/02/13/ai-politicking-isnt-coming-its-already-here-and-proving-hard-to-regulate/ I discuss the early findings of my research with Dr Nicky Gillibrand subsequently published and discussed further at: https://www.marcusganley.com/content/use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-european-union-elections-lessons-for-new-zealand
I also discussed this research with Emile Donovan on RNZ Nights https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/nights/audio/2019023263/are-we-ready-for-ai-this-election-year
Time, not urgency, is New Zealand Parliament’s big issue
Time, not urgency, is Parliament’s real problem. That’s the core argument of my latest piece in Newsroom on parliamentary urgency: https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/12/11/how-parliamentary-urgency-can-be-a-good-thing/
Time, not urgency, is Parliament’s real problem. That’s the core argument of my latest piece in Newsroom on parliamentary urgency: https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/12/11/how-parliamentary-urgency-can-be-a-good-thing/
Like most commentators on the NZ Parliament, I criticise the use of urgency to bypass select committee scrutiny. This should be rare and reserved for genuinely urgent situations. Where it happens, there should be automatic post-enactment scrutiny.
But most of the time the House is sitting under urgency, it’s not done to skip select committees at all. Instead, it removes stand-downs between stages and allows extended sitting hours. In the Australian Senate this is called "proceeding without formality" something that happens almost without exception.
The deeper issue is that the NZ Parliament simply doesn’t have enough time for serious legislative scrutiny given the volume of legislation it considers, so urgency gets used as a workaround.
If we want less urgency, we need to do more than just criticise its use. Parliament either needs to sit more, or change its procedures so there is more time for debate. One idea I’ve been suggesting for a while is taking a lesson from the Australian House of Representatives and the UK House of Commons, and allowing committee of the whole debates to run in parallel with the House itself.
The other option is to pass much less legislation. That doesn’t seem to be an option any government, past, present, or in the foreseeable future, has shown much interest in.
NZ should keep info highway open, not charge tolls
This article for Newsroom explored the Australian government’s proposed changes to its Freedom of Information Actthat would allow agencies to reject more requests and introduce a new fee for applying for information.
I conclude that NZ’s Official Information Act is overdue for review and the effort should go into building capacity, not creating new barriers.
This article for Newsroom explored the Australian government’s proposed changes to its Freedom of Information Act that would allow agencies to reject more requests and introduce a new fee for applying for information.
I conclude that NZ’s Official Information Act is overdue for review and the effort should go into building capacity, not creating new barriers. https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/19/nz-should-keep-information-highway-open-not-charge-tolls/
Stop confusing fiscal and economic success
In 2013 Australian business leaders and conservative politicians were pointing to New Zealand as an example of good economic management. In this article for Crikey.com.au I suggested we needed to look deeper.
In 2013 Australian business leaders and conservative politicians were pointing to New Zealand as an example of good economic management. In this article for Crikey.com.au I suggested we needed to look deeper.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2013/12/05/stop-cheering-the-nz-government-for-good-economic-management/