Think Pieces
These publications explore ideas that could shape New Zealand’s future, or gather thoughts on an issue at a specific point in time. They are authored either by Institute staff or external parties invited by the Institute.
Think Piece 35 – Where next? A Garden of Eden or a Slough of Despond?
Sir Michael Cullen, June 2020
Download (PDF, 1.1 MB)
Think Piece 34 – I am hungry for a vision for our country
Phil Royal, April 2020
Download (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Think Piece 33 – The Long Normal: Preparing the National Reserve Supply (NRS) for pandemic cycles
Wendy McGuinness, April 2020
Download (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Think Piece 32 – Exploring Ways to Embed Climate Reporting in the Existing Framework
Wendy McGuinness, September 2019
Download (PDF, 328 KB)
Think Piece 32 References
Download (PDF, 115 KB)
Think Piece 31 – Navigating the Future With Foresight
Wendy McGuinness, December 2018
Download (PDF, 2.3 MB)
Think Piece 30 – Package of Climate Change Reporting Recommendations
Wendy McGuinness, October 2018
Download (PDF, 170 KB)
Think Piece 29 – Civics and Citizenship Education in New Zealand: A case for change
Todd Krieble and Danijela Tavich, May 2018
Download (PDF, 573 KB)
Think Piece 29 References
Download (PDF, 177 KB)
Think Piece 28 – Biological Corridors Throughout the Length of New Zealand
Wendy McGuinness, April 2018
Download (PDF, 346 KB)
Think Piece 28 Endnotes
Download (PDF, 119 KB)
Think Piece 27 – The Family So’otaga: connection between home and school
Wendy McGuinness and Caitlin Salter,
February 2018
Download (PDF, 2.4 MB)
Think Piece 25 – The changing purpose of tertiary education
Wendy McGuinness, May 2016
Download (PDF, 906 KB)
Think Piece 24 – Self-aware cities
Nick Roberts, March 2016
Download (PDF, 653 KB)
Think Piece 23 – The Future of Talent: Reflections from the World Future Society Conference
Hannah Steiner-Mitchell, December 2015
Download (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Think Piece 22 – Proposal for the Creation of an Oceans Institution
Wendy McGuinness & Sally Hett, November 2015
Download (PDF, 419 KB)
Think Piece 21 – Strategy Stewardship Matters: Utilising the Government Department Strategies Index
Wendy McGuinness & Madeleine Foreman, April 2015
Download (PDF, 364 KB)
Think Piece 20 – Towards a Strategy of Freedom
Wendy McGuinness, September 2014
Download (PDF, 160 KB)
Think Piece 19 – 'I would rather New Zealand be smart than lucky'
Wendy McGuinness, August 2014
Download (PDF, 240 KB)
Think Piece 18 – 'For me ... it is not enough'
Wendy McGuinness, September 2013
Download (PDF, 800 KB)
Think Piece 17 – A Place Where Talent Wants to Live
Wendy McGuinness, with assistance from Gillian McCarthy, March 2013
Download (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Think Piece 17 Footnotes
Download (PDF, 229 KB)
Think Piece 16 – New Zealand King Salmon: Was it a good decision for New Zealand?
Wendy McGuinness, March 2013
Download (PDF, 1.4 MB)
See also Working Paper 2013/01: Notes on the New Zealand King Salmon Decision
Think Piece 15 – The Magical Place Where Science and Humanities Meet
Wendy McGuinness & Rory Sarten, July 2012
Download (PDF, 520 KB)
Think Piece 15 Footnotes
Download (PDF, 102 KB)
Think Piece 14 – Constructing a House Fit for the Future
Wendy McGuinness, June 2011
Download (PDF, 695 KB)
Think Piece 14 Footnotes
Download (PDF, 132 KB)
Think Piece 13 – The Day They Decided That Sneetches Are Sneetches
Wendy McGuinness, October 2010
Download (PDF, 421 KB)
Think Piece 13 Footnotes
Download (PDF, 99 KB)
Think Piece 12 – New Zealand is No Longer New
Wendy McGuinness & Perrine Gilkison, October 2009
Download (PDF, 915 KB)
Think Piece 12 Footnotes
Download (PDF, 21 KB)
Think Piece 11 – The Age of Information is Dead. Long Live the Imagination Age
Leanne Silver, October 2009
Download (PDF, 66 KB)
Think Piece 11 Footnotes
Download (PDF, 7 KB)
Think Piece 10 – Lost in Space: Turning Ideas into Action
Wendy McGuinness & Hayley Vujcich, May 2009
Download (PDF, 208 KB)
Think Piece 10 Footnotes
Download (PDF, 12 KB)
Think Piece 9 – Think Tanks: NZ's Own Idea into Action
Wendy McGuinness & Willow Henderson, May 2009
Download (PDF, 142 KB)
Think Piece 9 Background for Table 1
Download (PDF, 35.9 KB)
Think Piece 9 Footnotes
Download (PDF, 11.1 KB)
Think Piece 8 – Magnifying Hope and Reducing Fear
Wendy McGuinness, December 2008
Download (PDF, 115 KB)
Think Piece 8 Footnotes
Download (PDF, 10 KB)
Think Piece 7 – What is a National Sustainable Development Strategy?
Wendy McGuinness & Willow Henderson, October 2008
Download (PDF, 159 KB)
Think Piece 6 – While AgResearch Fiddled
Wendy McGuinness, October 2008
Download (PDF, 716 KB)
Think Piece 6 Workings for Figure 1
Download (PDF, 35.9 KB)
Think Piece 6 Footnotes
Download (PDF, 124 KB)
Think Piece 5 – Hard Work
Wendy McGuinness, September 2008
Download (PDF, 157 KB)
Think Piece 4 – Weak Signals and Wild Cards: Insights from the World Futures Conference
Wendy McGuinness, August 2008
Download (PDF, 215 KB)
Think Piece 3 – Project 2008: Suggested Initiatives for making New Zealand 'Fit for Purpose'
Wendy McGuinness, Joe McCarter, Mark Newton and Hayley Vujcich, December 2007
Download (PDF, 116 KB)
Think Piece 2 – Climate Change: New Zealand's Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990–2005
Wendy McGuinness, May 2007
Download (PDF, 125 KB)
Think Piece 1 – Twenty Years of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment
Wendy McGuinness, Ella Lawton, Amelie Goldberg and Hayley Vujcich, March 2007
Download (PDF, 114 KB)