The New Zealand Productivity Commission Te Kōmihana Whai Hua o Aotearoa has released its interim report ‘A fair chance for all’ which examines the issue of persistent disadvantage in Aotearoa New Zealand as well as how we can address it.

Read the interim report or overview on the New Zealand Productivity Commission website.

The report found four key barriers

Power imbalances – These shape government systems and policies. Policy responsiveness is strongly skewed toward those who have political and economic power, which entrenches the cycle of disadvantage.

Discrimination and the ongoing impact of colonisation – As people of European descent became the ethnic majority in Aotearoa New Zealand, they introduced policies that benefited some of them at the expense of Māori. Prejudiced and paternalistic attitudes toward Māori continue to shape policies impacting Māori. Discrimination against other groups is also prevalent, including towards Pacific peoples, women, migrants, and disabled people.

Siloed and fragmented government – Our public services are organised through ministries and agencies focused on separate sectors (e.g. education, health and welfare) that provide standardised services to individual people. This approach works until people’s needs become more complex. Despite reforms to get the public sector to work across these ‘silos’, there is a way to go yet to achieve a truly integrated and system-wide approach to tackling issues.

Short-termism and status quo bias – Government planning and decision making is not sufficiently focused on long-term goals. There is a tendency to be risk-averse and to favour the status quo and make only incremental changes.