Vernon Rive, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
By allowing a case against local greenhouse gas emitters to go ahead, the Supreme Court of New Zealand has opened the door to a new front in climate law – one that takes tikanga Māori into account.
New Zealand has dropped six points on the main global index of perceived corruption. To turn that around, the government must guard against state capture by vested interests.
New Zealand is just the second country to approve a novel defibrillation procedure for some patients. With current survival rates very low, it is hoped the new method will save many more lives.
Most workers have experienced a bad team meeting. To run a good and effective one, managers need to make staff feel safe expressing ideas – even if they’re outside the box.
Labour’s ‘Adapt and Thrive’ plan for climate resilience is unlikely to survive the new government’s priorities. But the country cannot avoid addressing its urgent infrastructural deficit.
New fossil studies tell us our ancient ancestors enjoyed a diet of soft, sweet fruits. This would have influenced where they lived and spread to – and even the evolution of colour vision.
Understanding how key dietary nutrients move around the world within traded food gives us a better picture of global population health – and how the wealth gap between countries affects it.
Decades of Treaty scholarship have failed to arrive at a consensus about its meaning and purpose. Dispensing with various mistaken interpretations would improve the chances of productive discussion.
Cultured meats, precision fermentation and other cutting-edge technologies are predicted to disrupt conventional agriculture. Despite the threat, New Zealand is well positioned to ride the wave.
If the government is serious about reducing the cost of smoking, it should stick with Labour’s smokefree legislation rather than freezing the price of smoked tobacco products.
Jack Vowles, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
If Māori did not explicitly cede sovereignty in 1840, neither did they fully retain it. If sovereignty is already being shared, where does Te Tiriti o Waitangi sit within our unwritten constitution?
The International Court of Justice stopped short of calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. New Zealand now needs to refine its foreign policy to play a constructive role in what happens next.
Over 200 million tonnes of sediment are transported by rivers to the sea each year, the most widespread water contaminant in the country. Its devastating impact on marine life has to be reversed.
Pacific Island support for Israel in the United Nations goes beyond a shared Judeo-Christian belief system. It involves a fundamental emphasis on community based on connection and relationships.
Photogrammetry, a technique where 3D information is extracted from photographs, is reducing the guesswork in counting – and understanding – the world below the ocean surface.
ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill assumes Māori have been granted special privileges. But it can equally be argued the Treaty prevents the undemocratic concentration of power in the hands of a few.
With geopolitical tension and uncertainty rising, New Zealand’s ruling coalition faces urgent questions about defence spending, alliances and its independent foreign policy.
Representative democracy is under threat as females – particularly from minority groups – leave or choose not to enter politics. Many say the mental toll of online abuse has become overwhelming.
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University