Discussion papers

Discussion papers present research findings to drive conversation and dialogue about the issues facing Aotearoa New Zealand.

Discussion Paper 2024/02 – Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned

Discussion Paper 2025/04 – The COVID-19 Shadow: An independent review five years on

This paper will be published after the Royal Commission Phase 2 report is released.

Discussion Paper 2025/02 – How to Tell the Difference Between an Emergency and a Crisis and Why it Matters

August 2025
Download final draft (PDF, 2 MB)

Discussion Paper 2025/03 – Time to Prepare: Lessons from the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy

August 2025
Download final draft (PDF, 3 MB)

Discussion Paper 2025/01 – Lessons from the Double Moral Panic that Hit New Zealand in the 1980s: The AIDS pandemic and the Homosexual Law Reform Bill

July 2025
Download (PDF, 3 MB)

Discussion Paper 2024/02 – The COVID-19 Ripple Effect: An independent review of New Zealand’s response

August 2025
Download (PDF, 7 MB)

This paper was held until the Royal Commission Phase 1 report was released.

Discussion Paper 2024/01 – Risks Hiding in Plain Sight: Does a commitment under the Paris Agreement to purchase offshore carbon credits create a requirement to report that commitment in the financial statements of the New Zealand Government?

18 June 2024 (updated 23 October 2024)
Download (PDF, 5 MB)

Addendum to Discussion Paper 2024/01
23 October 2024
Download (PDF, 7 MB).

See 18 June 2024 press release.
See also Working Paper 2024/11.

Discussion Paper 2023/04 – Exploring the Role of Aquaculture in Our Marine Space

December 2023
Download (PDF, 13 MB)

Discussion Paper 2023/03 – National and International Comparisons of Codes of Conduct for Members of Parliament

June 2023
Download (PDF, 2 MB)

Discussion Paper 2023/02 – Establishing National Climate-related Reference Scenarios

May 2023
Download (PDF, 714 KB)

Discussion Paper 2023/01 – BIG Ideas: Brief to the Incoming Government (B.I.G.)

Short Read
February 2023
Download (PDF, 3 MB)

Long Read (includes references)
April 2023
Download (PDF, 6 MB)

Discussion Paper 2022/02 – New Zealand King Salmon Case Study: A financial reporting perspective

March 2023
Download (PDF, 25 MB)

This discussion paper is supported by Working Paper 2022/10 – New Zealand King Salmon key documents 2012–2022

Discussion Paper 2022/03 – Nuclear War: Are we prepared?

December 2022
Download (PDF, 12 MB)

Discussion Paper 2022/01 – Future for Local Government Workshop

May 2022
Download (PDF, 3 MB)

Discussion Paper 2021/04 – An Accounting Dilemma: Does a commitment to purchase offshore carbon credits create a requirement to disclose that obligation in the financial statements of the New Zealand Government?

November 2021
Download draft (PDF, 3 MB)

This paper is superseded by Discussion Paper 2024/01 – Risks Hiding in Plain Sight

Discussion Paper 2021/03 – A COVID-19 Situational Report: Beyond Aotearoa New Zealand’s Fortress as at 1 September 2021

September 2021
Download (PDF, 3 MB)

Discussion Paper 2021/02 – Need for speed: Strategy mapping and adaptive management

August 2021
Download (PDF, 5 MB)

Discussion Paper 2021/01 – Mission Aotearoa: Mapping our future

June 2021
Download (PDF, 2 MB)

2020 Briefing to the Incoming Government

Discussion Paper 2020/01 – Briefing to the Incoming Government

December 2020
Download (PDF, 439 KB)

Discussion Paper 2019/01 – The Climate Reporting Emergency: A New Zealand case study

October 2019
Download (PDF, 6 MB)

Discussion Paper 2016/05 – A Far North Perspective On Tackling Poverty

December 2016
Download (PDF, 10 MB)

Discussion Paper 2016/04 – A Gisborne Perspective on Tackling Poverty

December 2016
Download (PDF, 4 MB)

Discussion Paper 2016/03 – A Rotorua Perspective on Tackling Poverty

December 2016
Download (PDF, 5 MB)

Discussion Paper 2016/02 – A Manawatu Perspective on Tackling Poverty

December 2016
Download (PDF, 6 MB)

Discussion Paper 2016/01 – A Queenstown Perspective on Tackling Poverty

June 2016
Download (PDF, 4 MB)

Discussion papers