Chair in Public Finance
Background
The Chair in Public Finance was established in 2011 within the Wellington School of Business and Government in association with a number of external stakeholders.
The main aims of the Chair were to conduct research in public finance and engage with public policy institutions to help improve the quality of public policy advice in New Zealand and overseas.
Norman Gemmell was appointed as the first holder of the Chair in Public Finance in 2011. He held the Chair until April 2022.
Ongoing research
Although the Chair in Public Finance is currently vacant, Emeritus Professor Norman Gemmell and his research colleagues continue to undertake activities related to the Chair. A record of this ongoing work is contained in this section of the Wellington School of Business and Government website.
During 2025 and 2026, research continues on a number of projects in conjunction with Professor Arthur Grimes in the School of Government.
See the Working Papers series for recent publications.
Key sponsors
From 2011 to 2022, the Chair was sponsored by a number of stakeholders including:
- The Treasury New Zealand (2011–21)
- Inland Revenue Department (2011–21)
- Ministry of Social Development (2011–16)
- PwC (2011–16)
- Ministry of Education (2016–21)
- The Productivity Commission (2015–19).
In addition, the Chair received support from the Endeavour Fund at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) during 2016–19 and 2019–22.
Objectives
At its inception, the Chair in Public Finance had three main objectives:
- to advance rigorous, respected public finance research in New Zealand
- to engage with key stakeholders to improve the quality of public finance analysis, discussion, and policy advice in New Zealand
- to develop public finance capabilities in New Zealand.
To achieve those objectives the CPF produced various publications and undertook engagement, training and event activities. These included:
- setting up public finance working paper and newsletter series
- pursuing publications in international and New Zealand academic and policy-focused journals
- publishing in magazines and newspapers aimed at public policy experts and the general public
- attending and presenting at academic and public policy conferences, seminars, and workshops in New Zealand and overseas
- organising conferences, workshops, debate series, ‘research days’, and ‘masterclasses’ on public finance topics. Some of these were co-organised with CPF sponsors
- hosting visiting international research scholars and public lectures
- setting up dedicated websites to disseminate public finance research and related information
- joining expert panels and advisory groups requiring public finance expertise. These were typically organised by New Zealand public service departments or private policy think-tanks
- organising the New Zealand Government, Minister of Finance’s Academic Economics Advisory Group—a small group of economics professors invited to advise him of economic policy, meeting two to three times per year from 2011 to 2017.
Research and publications
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Research
Research by the Chair included policy-focused projects that aimed to show how rigorous public finance research could inform tax and expenditure policy in practice.
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Publications
Outputs produced by the Chair included academic publications, annual reports, and working papers.
Ten year review
Download a report summarising the work of the Chair in Public Finance between 2011 and 2021.