Name: Podcast: Michael Johnston discusses improving our childrens' reading and writing by The New Zealand Initiative
Duration: 31 min 9 s
Description: Michael Johnston discusses improving our childrens' reading and writing with Belinda Blick-Duggan and Dr Helen Walls.

Michael Johnston discusses improving our childrens' reading and writing with Belinda Blick-Duggan and Dr Helen Walls.

Podcast: Michael Johnston discusses improving our childrens' reading and writing

In this episode, Michael talks to Nick Gibb, former UK Minister for Schools, about education reforms implemented in England over the past decade. 

The conversation covers various aspects of these reforms, including the introduction of systematic synthetic phonics for reading instruction, changes to the mathematics curriculum, teacher training improvements, and the challenges faced in implementing evidence-based approaches in education.

Transforming education: Lessons from England's school reforms with Nick Gibb

This episode features Michael, with Oliver, responding to and critiquing statements made by Prof Peter O'Connor on RNZ about education policy.

Michael systematically disagrees with O'Connor's views on the government's proposed education reforms, arguing that O'Connor misrepresents the reforms and presents false dichotomies between knowledge acquisition and creativity in education

Debunking education myths: A response to Prof Peter O'Connor's critique of curriculum reforms

In this episode, Nick discusses his latest research note on revenue sharing between central and local government.

The main idea is to provide financial incentives for local councils to be more supportive of housing development, potentially addressing New Zealand's housing crisis by aligning the interests of central and local governments.

Nick's research note "'Revenue share' for housing" is available on The New Zealand Initiative's website here: https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/revenue-share-for-housing/

Boosting housing development through revenue sharing

In this episode, Eric Crampton and Sarah Hogan, Deputy Chief Executive at NZIER, discuss a new report estimating the social costs of alcohol in New Zealand at $9 billion, with a focus on how such figures are calculated and used in policymaking. 

They explore the challenges of accurately attributing costs to alcohol, debate the effectiveness of targeted interventions versus broad policies, and emphasize the importance of addressing first-order problems like fetal alcohol spectrum disorder while ensuring cost-effective approaches to reducing alcohol-related harms.

Unpacking New Zealand's $9 billion alcohol cost

In this podcast episode, Oliver interviews Max Salmon about the findings of a recent survey of New Zealand local government officials, detailed in his latest research note called "The Pulse of Local Government."

The survey reveals that local councils generally desire more autonomy from central government, feel financial pressures from population growth, and support localism, but also highlights some contradictions in their views on amalgamation and their relationship with ratepayers.

You can read Max Salmon's research note "The Pulse of Local Government" on The New Zealand Initiative's website at https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/the-pulse-of-local-government/

The Pulse of Local Government: Insights from New Zealand's Councils

In this episode, Michael and Oliver explore the growing support for alternative political parties in former East German states and its potential impact on German federal politics, particularly regarding foreign policy and international relations.

They discuss historical and social factors contributing to this trend, while also examining how these changes in Germany could affect global democratic systems and drawing parallels to challenges facing other liberal democracies, including New Zealand.

Oliver also mentions his recent Newsroom article, "Voter anger threatens to bury Germany’s traditional party-political system", which you can read here:https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/reports-and-media/opinion/voter-anger-threatens-to-bury-germanys-traditional-party-political-system/

Germany's political shift and its global impact

In this episode, Oliver and Damien Grant discuss the challenges facing liberal democracies, inspired by Anne Applebaum's books "Twilight of Democracy" and "Autocracy Inc."

They explore the rise of populism, the influence of autocratic regimes, political polarisation, and the erosion of democratic norms in various countries, while also relating these global trends to the New Zealand context.

This episode was originally published on Damien's own podcast "Different Matters" which you can subscribe to here: https://www.differentmatters.co.nz

The state of geopolitics and liberal democracy

In this episode, Oliver, Michael and Eric discuss the recent elections in two eastern German states, Thuringia and Saxony, where far-right and populist parties like the AfD and BSW gained significant ground, while traditional mainstream parties performed poorly. 

They explore the reasons behind this political shift, including frustrations with immigration policies, economic challenges, and nostalgia for the former East Germany, while also examining the broader implications for German politics and drawing lessons for other democracies about the dangers of ignoring citizens' legitimate concerns.

Eastern German state elections reshape political landscape

In this episode, James and Dr Nick Matzke discuss recent changes at the University of Auckland, including a push to cut some existing courses and a special University Senate meeting where a vote was held on a motion to pause the Curriculum Framework Transformation for further discussion.

Dr Nick Matzke, a biogeography professor, provides insights into the tensions between incorporating mātauranga Māori and maintaining scientific rigour in university curricula, while also addressing broader issues of academic freedom and faculty governance.

Auckland Univerisity's controversial new courses

In this episode, Eric and Ben Hamlin, Barrister at Clifton Chambers, explore how government policies and regulations can unintentionally stifle competition in New Zealand, affecting everything from healthcare to supermarkets. 

They discuss the challenges posed by current laws, particularly the 'Crown exception' in competition law, and propose reforms aimed at creating a more competitive economy, including regular reviews of competition restrictions and greater justification for government-imposed market limitations.

Podcast: Michael Johnston discusses improving our childrens' reading and writing

The New Zealand Initiative

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