Across the Pacific, relationships are the currency of standing. Talanoa and kōrero – open, values‑based dialogue – sit at the heart of how trust is built, how disagreements are navigated, and how partners assess one another over time. In this context, Aotearoa New Zealand has long been viewed as a country whose internal conduct aligns with the values it promotes externally, […]
Author: Mary Watson-Burton
Are New Zealand’s politicians ready for a cold stretch?
New Zealanders have long bemoaned the fact that their juiciest produce leaves on a ship. Export-grade beef, world-class dairy, priced accordingly for Dubai and beyond, not Tauranga. The running joke is that you must go offshore to get a taste of home. The export model has always relied on distance being manageable and markets remaining […]
A values migration test has a definition problem
I once had a boss who told me, “What gets measured gets done.” We measured, and things got done. The important part was not the volume of measurement – it was that we knew exactly what we were measuring. The bottom line was simple: you can’t measure what you can’t define.
So, when it comes to values, migration, and individual compliance, the question becomes: how can values first be defined?
Currently Australia has an Australian Values Statement that sets out principles applicants are required to acknowledge as part of the migration process. Angus Taylor, Leader of the Opposition, has announced the Coalition will pursue “a values-based migration scheme that puts Australian values first, and shuts the door to those who hate our country or abuse our legal system to stay here without a right to do so.” He has also said those values are “up to debate”, meaning the definition of what is being assessed remains unsettled.
This signals a move towards requiring compliance with a set of Australian values that are not defined in behavioural terms. “Values” here are being used as shorthand for behavioural predictability under uncertainty. This instinct is understandable: migration systems are, by design, attempting to assess future behaviour. But that only works if the behaviours being inferred are clearly defined in advance. The deeper question is now more practical: if values are to be used as a compliance tool, how can they be translated into defined behavioural criteria to allow consistent and fair assessment?
Grants for Growth
Ever notice that it is where you see things from that determines how you see things? Perspective is everything. Perspective can really make a difference when researching and matching grant opportunities to projects. How you see your core operations and how it may match up with national and international grant opportunities can be very different […]