Under the uncertain economic conditions of the pandemic, a voluntary disclosure program for overseas income could protect New Zealand’s small businesses — and promote tax honesty at the same time.
New Zealand continues to pursue an elimination strategy to stamp out community infections with the Delta variant. But it will need incentives and some degree of compulsion to raise vaccination rates.
Tom Womack, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
New Zealand’s conservation needs to consider the long-term impact of climate change and focus not only on protecting native species but on preserving ecological richness.
Rachelle Binny, Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research; Michael Plank, University of Canterbury; Shaun Hendy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, and Siouxsie Wiles, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Several superspreading events had likely infected more than 200 people before New Zealand’s Delta outbreak was detected and the country went into a strict lockdown last week.
A new study using music streaming data to measure national mood underlines how much stock markets are governed by emotion rather than rational calculation.
New Zealand has an ethical obligation to acknowledge its role in creating the crisis in Afghanistan and to increase its refugee intake to save as many as possible.
New Zealanders are worried about autonomous weapons. But military alliances with the US and Australia, and potential economic gains from local robotics research, mean NZ won’t yet take a tough stand.
As more genomes are sequenced, it will become clearer when and how the Delta variant slipped through the New Zealand border. The greater the diversity in genomes, the older and larger the outbreak.
Andrew Chen, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Models show at least 60% of the population would need to use the COVID-19 tracer app to have enough data to control an outbreak without a lockdown – but only about 10% of New Zealand adults scan in.
New Zealand has been free of COVID-19 community infection since February, but a single confirmed case in Auckland has seen the government again adopt the ‘go hard, go early’ approach.
Timothy Welch, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
To reduce pressure on cities and the environment, drivers should face a charge that reflects the actual costs of clogged roads, air pollution, climate change, injury and death.
The death of the former Olympic cyclist reinforces the need for a fundamental cultural shift in the priorities and value systems of high-performance sport.
The Drug and Substance Checking Bill currently moving through parliament marks another milestone in New Zealand’s shift away from criminalisation and towards harm reduction.
The challenges of containing inevitable outbreaks once borders reopen should not be underestimated. That’s why elimination remains the guiding principle and mass vaccination the imperative.
Eddie Clark, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Fears that concerned parents might fall foul of a new law banning gay conversion practices are not borne out by the strict definitions in the bill before parliament.
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University