The “A Fair Chance for All” final report (June 2023) by the New Zealand Productivity Commission explores the systemic causes of persistent disadvantage in Aotearoa and proposes long-term, cross-system solutions. It highlights that nearly 700,000 New Zealanders experienced persistent disadvantage between 2013 and 2018, driven by structural factors like colonisation, discrimination, siloed government systems, and short-term policy focus.
Key recommendations include:
- Embedding wellbeing and mātauranga Māori frameworks such as He Ara Waiora into the public management system;
- Establishing a “social floor” to ensure minimum living standards;
- Reforming accountability systems to centre community voice, te Tiriti o Waitangi, and long-term outcomes;
- Enabling locally led, whānau-centred, and centrally supported initiatives.
The report calls for coordinated, enduring political commitment and system transformation to break cycles of disadvantage and realise the collective potential of all New Zealanders.