AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for October 22, 2026 – Full Text

LOS ANGELES, USA – Newsaktuell – 21 October 2026 – A newly released study of US state government performance found strong partisan and regional patterns within three pillars of governance: democratic accountability, state capacity and public goods provision. Yet, the US states’ outcomes differ in important ways from international comparisons, as the three governance dimensions show limited correlation, the researchers found.

The report, “The Governance Performance of the Fifty States: The U.S. Berggruen Governance Index”, applies the research team’s “governance triangle” from past global country rankings to the 50 US states. The report has now been presented to the public at Columbia University in New York.

“Unlike in the Berggruen Governance Index’s cross-national comparisons, where the three dimensions are broadly correlated, in the 50 U.S. states they often run counter to each other,” the authors conclude. “This may seem counterintuitive, as one might expect a well-governed state to finish high on all three and a poorly governed one to place low across all three.”

The report concluded that state capacity and public goods provision are “essentially uncorrelated.” Massachusetts, which has among the highest per capita incomes, was third in public goods but 49th in state capacity. Mining and agriculture-dependent Wyoming was 36th in public goods provision but No. 1 in state capacity.

• Public goods provision, which combines quality-of-life metrics such as health and educational outcomes with infrastructure and quasi-public goods that are often delivered by the private sector, saw four of the top five from the Northeast, while the bottom seven were in the South. All but one of the top 16 states were won by Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election. Nineteen of the bottom 20 went to Donald Trump.
• Democratic accountability measures election procedures, which vary widely among states, along with scores for civil society activity and government openness. These include among others lobbying disclosures and state auditor independence. The top 12 states were a geographical mix of the West, Northeast and Midwest. Nine of that dozen voted for Harris, though the state with the highest score was reliably Republican Montana. The 10 lowest-ranked states were all Southern, and the bottom 20 were all won by Trump in 2024.
• State capacity foremost indicates debt levels, along with budget processes and effective welfare-state delivery such as unemployment insurance. The top-ranked states were geographically diversified, but no Northeastern state was among the top 12. All major regions were represented in the bottom 10, including notoriously debt-laden Rhode Island, Illinois, Connecticut and New Jersey.

The three components produce four state groupings identified by the authors:

• 14 fiscally sound and delivering states, which are half Republican and half Democratic and swing states, based on the 2024 presidential race.
• 16 strained but delivering states, which are mostly Democratic.
• Nine fiscally strong but poorly served states, almost entirely Republican.
• 11 low performing states, including only one Democratic state.

The report was written by principal investigator Helmut K. Anheier with co-authors Joseph C. Saraceno and Edward L. Knudsen, all of the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, and produced as a collaboration of the Luskin School with the Berlin-based Hertie School, supported by the Berggruen Institute, a Los Angeles think tank.

During a panel discussion held with the release of the report at Columbia University, economic historian Adam Tooze focused on the states with poor scores for provision of public goods. He pointed out that for many public goods that in Europe are assumed to be state-led, such as health care, education and utilities, in the US the private sector has a greater role.

“If you look at all of the states which are underperforming, it’s the South, and the variable that’s operating here is race,” said Tooze, a Columbia professor. “The reason why these states don’t have large-scale public services is that white people who are richer don’t want to pay taxes to redistribute income to black people. And it’s not a secret; it’s the logic of American politics.”

Among the 11 low performing states, the very worst performers are in the South: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Kentucky.

Joseph C. Saraceno said that the 14 states classified in the report as fiscally sound and delivering “provide a moderate level of public goods while also having state capacity, or this measure of fiscal room that they find to be comfortable, or have a rainy day fund as needed.”

The group of fiscally strong, poorly served states have strong balance sheets but little to show for it in quality of life. Arkansas, for example, ranks seventh in state capacity but 46th in public goods provision. Tooze said those states have better fiscal resilience and “rank high on their capacity score because basically they’ve never done anything. So unsurprisingly, when push comes to shove, they could do something if one supposed they had politics that would allow them to.”

Edward Knudsen, another researcher who worked on the previous global versions of the Berggruen Governance Index, pointed out that the strained but delivering states are heavily traditionally Democratic Party states that also score higher for democratic accountability. “In a lot of the Democratic leaning states, you have more ability for the population to demand public goods. They in turn are able to receive them. That places this fiscal stress,” Knudsen said.

The full report “The Governance Performance of the Fifty States: The U.S. Berggruen Governance Index” can be downloaded here: https://ucla.app.box.com/s/hcruhr43fyhfw0uondid2e6fviqopmww

Frank Fuhrig, DNA

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Source: Insurance Council of New Zealand | Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa

The Insurance Council of New Zealand | Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa (ICNZ) is calling on the next Government to prioritise climate adaptation, resilience and long-term funding to reduce New Zealand’s exposure to natural hazards.

ICNZ Chief Executive Kris Faafoi said the acknowledgement during last night’s Stuff leaders’ debate of the growing risks from climate-related events was welcome, but the next step must be practical action.

“It was positive to see both leaders recognise the challenges extreme weather poses for communities, businesses and infrastructure,” Kris Faafoi said.

“But New Zealand has spent a lot of time talking about the problem. The next Government must pivot to action to reduce risk for New Zealand’s communities that are the most vulnerable to natural hazard risk.

“That means investing in flood protection and other resilience infrastructure, making better planning decisions and avoiding further development in high-risk areas. It also means facing difficult decisions about how and where communities develop.

“Long-term funding is critical. Communities and councils need certainty to plan and invest in resilience and adaptation measures that reduce risk,” Kris Faafoi said.

Research commissioned by ICNZ found seven in ten New Zealanders expect flood, landslide and coastal inundation risks to be a significant challenge for future governments.

Fewer than half (48%) believe politicians are taking the risks posed by extreme weather events seriously, while nine in ten want political parties to work together on solutions. The research also found two-thirds (67%) believe natural hazard risks impact property insurance premiums.

“Insurers help communities recover after disasters, but recovery is not a substitute for reducing risk before disaster strikes,” Kris Faafoi said.

“There was clear agreement from the National Party’s Christopher Luxon and Labour’s Chris Hipkins that New Zealand cannot keep rebuilding after every disaster.

“We need to invest ahead of events, strengthen vulnerable infrastructure and bring government, councils, insurers and banks, and communities together around a durable national approach.

“With 219,000 homes valued at $180 billion identified during the debate as being at risk from coastal or inland flooding, the consequences of delay are becoming increasingly clear.

“The best way to support the long-term accessibility and affordability of insurance is to reduce the risks facing homes, businesses and communities.

“Communities are increasingly feeling the impacts of climate change and the need for action is becoming more urgent.

“The challenges are well understood. What we need now is delivery,” Kris Faafoi said.

Notes to the editor

The research surveyed 1,013 respondents, with a margin of error of ±3.1%.

Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand

Palestine Forum of New Zealand is calling on the Government to explain its position after reports that Pacific leaders have approved Israel as a sectoral partner of the Pacific Islands Forum.

According to 1News, the decision was made under a new two-tier partnership model, with Israel engaging at ministerial rather than leaders’ level. The Forum Secretariat had not publicly announced the decision when the report was published.

New Zealand is a Forum member and will host the 2027 Leaders’ Meeting. PFNZ calls on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters to answer four questions:

• What position did New Zealand take on Israel’s application?
• What advice did the Government receive on the diplomatic, legal and human rights implications?
• Did New Zealand raise Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories during its consideration?
• What safeguards will ensure the partnership does not undermine the Forum’s commitments to human rights, peace and self-determination?

“These are reasonable questions, and New Zealanders are entitled to clear, public answers,” said PFNZ Chair Maher Nazzal.

Cooperation cannot replace accountability

Israel has signalled interest in cooperating with Pacific states on water, agriculture, climate adaptation and innovation. These matter to Pacific communities. But technical cooperation must not shield any state from scrutiny under international law.

PFNZ respects the sovereign right of Pacific nations to make their own diplomatic decisions. Our concern is not with the people of Israel, or with cooperation that genuinely benefits the Pacific. It is with consistent principles and meaningful accountability, whichever state is involved.

Pacific solidarity

Pacific peoples understand what land, identity and self-determination mean. That is why the Palestinian experience of displacement and occupation resonates across the region. PFNZ urges the Government to show that its commitment to a rules-based order applies consistently, and encourages Pacific civil society and communities across Aotearoa to engage in informed discussion.

The question is not only who may join a regional forum. It is whether the principles that guide that forum are upheld consistently.

Source: Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi

• 45 roles cut, more than 11% of the workforce
• Specialist person managing the critical music hire service let go, future delivery of service unclear
• Staff, union and community concerns brushed aside, more changes signalled

National Library Archives NZ is pressing ahead with deep cuts despite an outcry from choirs, orchestras, historians, and staff, leaving its workforce around 15% smaller than it was two years ago.

Staff were given the final decision today which results in the axing of around 45 full-time roles (see detail below).

“Historians, researchers, choirs, orchestras and many others spoke out loudly and strongly against these cuts and yet they’ve been ignored. It’s a slap in the face for staff and the many communities they serve,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

“It’s also completely inappropriate for such significant decisions to be made this close to the election.

“Preserving our precious history is not a nice to have, it’s critical. Yet this institution is being deliberately downgraded on the back of the Government’s spending cuts with little thought to the future. It leaves an already stretched and demoralised workforce expected to shoulder a rising burden.

“What will alarm the many choirs, bands and orchestras across the country is the decision to press ahead with axing the experienced person running the music hire service. The National Library has failed to ease their concerns and still can’t say how the service will be delivered in future.

“It’s even justifying the cut by pointing to falling use. Try telling that to the community choirs and orchestras who hire scores for a fraction of what they’d pay overseas, or who rely on New Zealand music, like the Douglas Lilburn collection, that can’t be found anywhere else.

“Staff warned in submissions of lost expertise, rising workloads, growing backlogs and reduced access. The agency admits those concerns are ‘real’, then brushes them aside and presses ahead with almost every cut. And it warns staff to ‘expect to see more changes’, adding yet more uncertainty for this vital institution.”

National Library Archives NZ says it must reduce spending by 10% over the next four years on top of making savings under Budget 2026.

“This is the Government’s approach everywhere: cut first, worry about the consequences later,” said Fitzsimons. “Just last week, GeoNet’s 24/7 earthquake monitoring centre shut down twice in a matter of days because there weren’t enough staff to run it.

“That’s why the PSA is calling for a public good test before agencies cut jobs, and why, come 7 November, we need a new government that properly values the vital institutions New Zealanders rely on like National Library and Archives NZ.”

Background

• Final decisions cut the workforce from 396.7 to 351.8 FTE, a reduction of 44.9 FTE (11.3%). The September proposal would have cut 46.9 FTE.
• Of the roles disestablished, 38.2 FTE are vacant.
• The Coordinator Music Access role is disestablished; with the agency saying the music hire service continues but there is no detail on the new access model.
• The new structure takes effect on 30 November 2026.

Previous statement

2 September 2026 – Our precious history under threat as National Library and Archives face more Govt cuts

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

Source: Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi

More strike action coming if pay offers do not improve

The arbitration outcome for Police Constabulary is fair and appropriate and must influence pay offers to public servants still waiting on a fair pay offer from this government.

“Police do vital work keeping New Zealanders safe, and a pay rise of 3.1 percent starts to recognise their important work and the cost-of-living pressures facing them,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

“They’re not the only publicly funded workers holding this country together. Thousands of public servants whose collective agreements have expired have been offered pay rises well below what other publicly funded workers have accepted.

“These families are already struggling with soaring power and fuel bills; they need a fair pay rise.”

Ten thousand public servants from Internal Affairs, MBIE, MSD, the National Emergency Management Agency, and the Ministry for Ethnic Communities walked off the job last month in protest at current offers.

“We have already had one strike of over 10,000 public servants and more will follow if offers do not improve.

“These are workers who process passports so Kiwis can travel and families can reunite. They run the immigration services that bring in the workers and skills our economy needs. They keep children safe online, and they lead our response when floods and earthquakes strike. And they support families doing it tough, and elderly and disabled New Zealanders.

“Police’s opening offer was effectively a miserly 0.6%. An independent arbitrator has now confirmed that’s nowhere near good enough.

“The Government can’t value some groups of publicly funded workers so differently to others, all face rising costs.

“Ministers keep cutting jobs and holding down wages while expecting fewer people to do more. That is driving experienced staff out the door. When they leave, it’s New Zealanders who wait longer and get less.

“This result should set the bar. It’s time the Government recognised and rewarded all public servants for the work they do and put a fair offer on the table.”

Previous statement

1 September 2026: 10,000 public servants to strike on 9 September

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

Source: Government House

The achievements of people with Down syndrome will be celebrated at Government House Wellington on Friday 23 October, when the Governor-General, Her Excellency The Right Honourable Dame Cindy Kiro, GNZM, QSO, and His Excellency Dr Richard Davies host the New Zealand Down Syndrome Association’s (NZDSA) National Achievement Awards.

The ceremony takes place during Down Syndrome Awareness Month, which celebrates the contributions of people with Down syndrome and promotes greater understanding and inclusion. The awards recognise individual achievements across a range of fields, as well as the encouragement and support of the families, teachers, coaches, and others who help people pursue their aspirations.

The event also marks the NZDSA’s 45th anniversary. Established in Auckland in 1981 by mothers seeking information and support for their families, the association has grown into a nationwide, family-driven organisation that supports people with Down syndrome and their whānau, raises public awareness, and advocates for their rights and inclusion.

This year’s ceremony also sees the Frances Clarke Award included the national awards for the first time. Established in memory of Frances Clarke, who died from leukaemia aged three in 1989, the award celebrates the achievements of people with Down syndrome and those who support them. The first Frances Clarke Awards were presented at Government House in 1990 by Sir Paul and Lady Reeves.

Source: Office of the Ombudsman

The Ombudsman is completing an increasing number of complaints and is setting new goals for achieving greater impact.

Chief Ombudsman John Allen has just published the Office of the Ombudsman’s Annual Report 2025/26 and Strategic Intentions 2026-31.

“The Annual Report highlights significant improvements in complaints performance, while the Strategic Intentions share our goals to guide the Office’s work over the next five years. We want to make the most of our functions and align our efforts to improve outcomes for people.”

“Our objectives are to drive lasting improvements in people’s experience of government, protect and strengthen the conditions for open and accountable government, and provide a more accessible and responsive service.”

Mr Allen says increasing demand for the Office’s services has required the need to explore new ways of operating.

“Our focus is on resolving cases more quickly, acting proportionately, and addressing any systemic issues that may have given rise to the complaints we are receiving.”

The Office completed 11,700 complaints in 2025/26, 43 percent more than the previous year. It achieved a clearance rate of 109 percent, meaning it completed more complaints than it received during the year, reducing the number of complaints on hand.

“We were able to deal with more complaints at an early stage, with 48 per cent of them resolved before Final Opinion, compared with 34 per cent the previous year,” Mr Allen says.

The Office provided 2,593 remedies to address individual complaints and improve public administration, up 64% on last year.

“The different approaches we have been trialling are showing positive results and point to wider benefits. Complainants are getting remedies sooner, while agencies are supported to resolve problems more quickly and easily,” says Mr Allen.

“We are also focused on helping to address the challenging systemic issues within the public sector. The Ombudsman’s unique role in handling complaints, initiating investigations, monitoring disability rights and inspecting prisons, aged care facilities and other secure facilities gives us valuable insights into how government’s actions and decisions are impacting people – that we can use to influence systemic change.”

Mr Allen says the Office is also seeking more opportunities for wider improvement by hearing directly from New Zealanders about their experiences.

“Our outreach work is helping us build stronger relationships with communities across the country and better understand their experiences.”

Read the Annual Report

Read the Strategic Intentions