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Nau mai, haere mai.
“So here it is, merry Christmas, everybody’s having fun”, as Slade sang way back in 1973, and which has been an ear worm at this time of year ever since. According to Alison Blair, the song was actually a response to particularly tough times during that British winter – so it still resonates today.
Whether the government and finance minister are having fun right now is another matter. As predicted, yesterday’s half-yearly fiscal update from the Treasury confirmed a sluggish economy, poor productivity, a low tax take and longer-term deificts.
On the other hand, economist Stephen Hickson writes, there are glimmers of optimism amid the general gloom. Unemployment (while likely to rise) won’t hit the peaks of the post-GFC era. And interest rate declines will take some pressure off household budgets. A recovery is likely, albeit on the mild side.
So, in the spirit of cautious optimism, we wish you all the best for the festive season ahead. And thank you for valuing and supporting our work during what has been a tough year for local media organisations in general.
Thanks also to all our valued authors from every New Zealand university, without whom we could not publish the kind of evidence-based and impartial journalism that helps constructive democratic debate and discussion to thrive.
This weekly newsletter will take a break, too. But if you’re not already subscribed, you can sign up for the daily Australia & New Zealand edition here. In the meantime, ngā mihi o te Kirihimete me te Tau Hou – merry Christmas and happy New Year to you all.
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Finlay Macdonald
New Zealand Editor
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Stephen Hickson, University of Canterbury
Treasury’s half year update tells the story of a sluggish economy and weaker tax take. While 2025 could be the year New Zealand’s economic fortunes lift, it depends on a number of factors.
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Alison Blair, University of Otago
Released during the grim British winter of 1973, the song was written to lift people’s spirits during tough times, and has become a classic of the genre. This year, it seems more relevant than ever.
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Nathan Cooper, University of Waikato
Subsidising fossil fuel exploration seems contrary to New Zealand’s international commitment to phase out incentives for the industry. It also erodes human rights to a healthy environment.
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Sione Tekiteki, Auckland University of Technology
The US and Australia are increasingly attaching defence and security conditions to aid for Pacific nations – but that aid is not seeing any real progress on development goals.
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Jessica C Lai, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
In 2024, two treaties were signed to protect the rights of Indigenous groups. But the second one, signed in November with little fanfare, is the one that could protect Māori knowledge and design.
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Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato
Canada has grappled with similar firearms problems to New Zealand. In some areas it has made more progress, but even its backward steps provide valuable lessons.
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Helen Petousis-Harris, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Studies have repeatedly shown false claims spread on social media and influence public perceptions, to the detriment of public health. But strategies to combat disinformation remain elusive.
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From our foreign editions
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Benjamin Curtis, Nottingham Trent University
Peter Singer’s slim volume is designed to educate us about how turkeys treated, and it doesn’t make for pleasant reading.
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Rodney Tiffen, University of Sydney
Selling the right-wing news network might cool the family tensions, and it would capitalise on the network’s market value.
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Alan Reid, University of Bradford
Since 2021, Myanmar has descended into civil war, repression, poverty and economic turmoil.
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Andrew Waterhouse, University of California, Davis; Apramita Devi, University of California, Davis
Opt for a lighter, cheaper red wine if you’re trying to dodge a headache this holiday season.
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Melissa Starling, University of Sydney
Boarding facilities during peak periods can stressful environments for dogs and cats. Some may not be suited to it at all.
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Dan Gordon, Anglia Ruskin University; Jonathan Melville, Anglia Ruskin University; Ruby Cain, Anglia Ruskin University
If we don’t challenge our body enough, it will stop adapting.
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Yap Boum, Mbarara University of Science and Technology
Sierra Leone was one of three countries ravaged by the Ebola epidemic 10 years ago. A national vaccine campaign is a big step towards preventing future outbreaks.
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Manjeet Ridon, De Montfort University; Alice Kelly, University of Warwick; Ankhi Mukherjee, University of Oxford; Debra Benita Shaw, University of East London; Edward Sugden, King's College London; Emily Zobel Marshall, Leeds Beckett University; Jane McBride, University of Galway; Orlaith Darling, University College Dublin; Sarah Annes Brown, Anglia Ruskin University; Scarlett Baron, UCL
These are the ten books that made the most lasting impression on our expert reviewers
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