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News & Media

The latest news from The Helen Clark Foundation

Sunrise over a beach, with cliffs in the midground.

16 December 2025

Blog

Introducing the Donors' Circle

A new community of members and supporters whose regular giving sustains our work

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Helen Clark Foundation

How to fix the reputation of local government

10 December 2025

Blog

How to fix the reputation of local government

Councils face significant funding deficits and rising costs, but this reality is drowned out by cost-of-living pressures and rate hikes

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Paula Southgate

Democracy already in use against drug harm – why can’t politicians do the same?

29 October 2025

Blog

Democracy already in use against drug harm – why can’t politicians do the same?

This project has shown that New Zealand citizens can build consensus collectively, and reach sensible and nuanced solutions to reducing harm from drugs, with empathy, evidence, and health at their core. Can our politicians step up and do the same?

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Dr. Rose Crossin

The Helen Clark Foundation Calls On Govt To Follow The Evidence And Fund A Health-Based Approach

28 October 2025

Press Release

The Helen Clark Foundation Calls On Govt To Follow The Evidence And Fund A Health-Based Approach

NZs drug law has had little change for decades. In the face of the growing presence of synthetics in the drug supply offshore and the impacts on our communities when there is insufficient harm reduction, the need to reform how we respond is grea.,

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The Helen Clark Foundation

Watch Kali Mercier on Q+A discussing our new report, Age-proofing Aotearoa

20 October 2025

Blog

Watch Kali Mercier on Q+A discussing our new report, Age-proofing Aotearoa

Deputy Director of the Helen Clark Foundation and WSP Fellow Kali Mercier appeared on Q+A With Jack Tame to discuss our new report, Age-proofing Aotearoa: Rethinking our infrastructure for an ageing population

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Kali Mercier

WSP and the Helen Clark Foundation report urges future-proofing infrastructure for ageing population

19 October 2025

Press Release

WSP and the Helen Clark Foundation report urges future-proofing infrastructure for ageing population

A new research report released today by WSP and the Helen Clark Foundation calls for urgent, coordinated action to prepare infrastructure, housing, healthcare, and social services for a future where as many as one in three New Zealanders may be aged 65 or older.

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The Helen Clark Foundation

Welcoming Paula Southgate to our Honorary Fellows Programme

11 October 2025

Blog

Welcoming Paula Southgate to our Honorary Fellows Programme

The Helen Clark Foundation is delighted to welcome outgoing Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate as our newest Honorary Senior Fellow from 1 November.

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The Helen Clark Foundation

Democracy in New Zealand is not inevitable

25 September 2025

Blog

Democracy in New Zealand is not inevitable

Helen Clark Foundation Honorary Senior Fellow Jonathan Boston ONZM highlights potential reforms to protect democratic governance in New Zealand, as Parliament reviews its Standing Orders. This piece was originally published in Newsroom.

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Jonathan Boston

Stephen Jacobi: Tariffs, Geopolitics and Other Challenges

27 August 2025

Blog

Stephen Jacobi: Tariffs, Geopolitics and Other Challenges

The following remarks were made by Stephen Jacobi to a recent payment industry forum. Stephen is one of the Foundation’s Honorary Senior Fellows

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Stephen Jacobi

Bold leadership required to build global trust

11 August 2025

Blog

Bold leadership required to build global trust

Helen Clark Foundation Honorary Senior Fellow Stephen Jacobi highlights the growing lack of trust in international affairs, which bodes ill for addressing critical global problems.

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Stephen Jacobi

NZ infrastructure faces crisis as maintenance lags behind

9 August 2025

Blog

NZ infrastructure faces crisis as maintenance lags behind

When we think about infrastructure in Aotearoa New Zealand, most of us picture the obvious: the roads we drive on, the pipes that carry our water, the schools our children attend, the hospitals that keep us healthy. What we don’t often consider is the huge amount of work that needs to go into keeping those assets up to scratch.

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Kali Mercier

Helen Clark Foundation calls for political action to reduce the prevalence of junk food and improve access to healthy foods to quell New Zealand’s growing obesity rates

25 November 2024

Press Release

Helen Clark Foundation calls for political action to reduce the prevalence of junk food and improve access to healthy foods to quell New Zealand’s growing obesity rates

In a report released today, public policy think tank The Helen Clark Foundation calls for long overdue political action to…

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Helen Clark Foundation

Pandemic Loneliness Bites Hard; Particularly For Disabled People

13 April 2021

Press Release

Pandemic Loneliness Bites Hard; Particularly For Disabled People

Ki te kotahi te kākaho ka whati, ki te kāpuia e kore e whati Alone we can be broken, standing…

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Helen Clark Foundation

UMR Poll Finds Broad Bipartisan Support For Cannabis Legalisation Or Decriminalisation & Little Support For Current Law

9 March 2021

Press Release

UMR Poll Finds Broad Bipartisan Support For Cannabis Legalisation Or Decriminalisation & Little Support For Current Law

A new poll released by the Helen Clark Foundation shows that cannabis legalisation or decriminalisation is favoured by a majority…

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Helen Clark Foundation

New Partnership For Greater Health Equity

15 December 2020

Press Release

New Partnership For Greater Health Equity

Three organisations, The Helen Clark Foundation, Health Coalition Aotearoa, and the MAS Foundation, are delighted to announce a partnership that…

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Helen Clark Foundation

An Inclusive Growth Agenda For The Next Generation

24 November 2020

Press Release

An Inclusive Growth Agenda For The Next Generation

A newly released report from the Helen Clark Foundation and the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research calls for a…

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Helen Clark Foundation

AUT And The Helen Clark Foundation To Continue Partnership

3 September 2020

Press Release

AUT And The Helen Clark Foundation To Continue Partnership

AUT and The Helen Clark Foundation are delighted to announce that they have renewed their partnership which will see them…

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Helen Clark Foundation

A Narrow Majority Support Cannabis Legalisation – But Turnout Will Be Crucial

8 July 2020

Press Release

A Narrow Majority Support Cannabis Legalisation – But Turnout Will Be Crucial

A new poll released by the Helen Clark Foundation and the New Zealand Drug Foundation shows that cannabis legalisation would…

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Helen Clark Foundation

Guarantee Minimum Income, Close Digital Divide, Build Better Cities To Fix Loneliness, Says Report

24 June 2020

Press Release

Guarantee Minimum Income, Close Digital Divide, Build Better Cities To Fix Loneliness, Says Report

New Zealand should prioritise loneliness in social policy as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, recommends a new report. WSP…

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Helen Clark Foundation

Cannabis Legalisation And Control Bill: Once-in-a-generation Chance To Put Public Health First

1 May 2020

Press Release

Cannabis Legalisation And Control Bill: Once-in-a-generation Chance To Put Public Health First

The Helen Clark Foundation welcomes the Government’s release of the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill on which New Zealanders will…

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Helen Clark Foundation

HCF reiterates support for yes vote in Cannabis Referendum

3 December 2019

Press Release

HCF reiterates support for yes vote in Cannabis Referendum

The Helen Clark Foundation today reiterated its support for a yes vote in next year’s cannabis referendum, following today’s announcement…

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Helen Clark Foundation

Ten ways to tackle hate

12 November 2019

Press Release

Ten ways to tackle hate

A Helen Clark Foundation project to reduce online harm will be presented today in competition at the Paris Peace Forum. ‘The Christchurch…

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Helen Clark Foundation

Background

The Impact of Your Support

Your support makes everything we do possible - from producing new research and policy ideas, to hosting our honorary fellows programme, to running public events and member-only webinars that bring people together for meaningful conversations about New Zealand’s future.

32+

Major Reports Published

70+

Events Hosted

50+

Significant Media Appearances in 2024

12,000+

Individuals engaged with our Research