Book Club Discussion of How to Save Democracy in Aotearoa New Zealand

Sir Geoffrey Palmer

Event poster promoting a talk about saving democracy in New Zealand, hosted by Geoffrey Palmer, scheduled for February 10th at 7pm via online Zoom.

We extend a warm thank you to Sir Geoffrey Palmer, who attended our Wellbeing Economy Book Club and provided insightful commentary and a lively discussion.

An introduction to the book:


How to Save Democracy in Aotearoa New Zealand is a collection of essays that analyze the current state of governance in New Zealand and what we can do to improve it. Sir Palmer offers a hopeful message of how everyday citizens hold the key to democratic revitalisation and that “we need to expand our ambition for our democracy if we want to keep it.”

Screen recording of a video conference with many participants in a grid layout, with a yellow border around the grid.

Some insights from our discussion:

  • Democracy is fragile, it is an institution upheld only by the collective will and actions of the people it governs.

  • It is worth keeping, because the alternatives of populism and dictatorship represent a reduction in freedom and wellbeing. So we need to think, how is it that we are going to keep our democracy? 

  • Democracy depends upon a properly structured set of values that are accepted by most in the community. 

  • Having a strong civil society that is politically interested and active is fundamental, and can be supported through better mandatory civic education

  • We have a stripped down racing version of the UK Westminster system, making it extremely difficult to have strong accountability.

  • We need more democratic breathing space and mechanisms that reward long-term thinking.

  • New Zealand has one of the most powerful executives of government in the world! Increasing the size of the house of representatives could help distribute power more widely, and also ease representatives' workloads.

  • We need to expand our ambition for our democracy if we want to keep it. 

  • The system of government has within it the seeds of its own reform.

Check out what we've read to date:

  • Mission Economy, Mariana Mazzucato

  • Economic Possibilities of Decolonisation, Matt Scobie + Anna Struman

  • Material World, Ed Conway

  • History for Tomorrow, Roman Krznaric

  • Doppelganger, Naomi Klein

  • Right story, wrong story, Tyson Yunkaporta

  • The Serviceberry, Robin Wall Kimmerer

  • Plurality, Audrey Tang

  • An Uncommon Land, Catherine Knight

  • The Invisible Doctrine - the secret history of Neoliberalism, George Monbiot

  • Slowing the Sun, Nadine Hura

  • Vulture Capitalism, Grace Blakeley

  • How to Save Democracy, Sir Geoffrey Palmer