Episode 12

Pension fund time bomb - A citizens’ solution

This is the first in a series of community podcasts about the people who live in Matua, Tauranga, New Zealand. The idea is to highlight and show case the diverse people and personalities of the community. To meet and explore who they are and what they do.

First up is David Webb shares his vision for transforming New Zealand's democracy through Citizens' Assemblies, a system where randomly selected but demographically representative groups of Kiwis work together to solve complex long-term challenges. We explore how this approach could break through political polarisation to create solutions that last beyond the three-year electoral cycle.

• From London legal tech to Tauranga – David's journey to putting down roots in Matua with his young family
• How the current political system incentivises short-term thinking and wastes billions on abandoned projects
• The superannuation challenge – from 7.5 taxpayers per pensioner in the 1970s to just 2 by 2040
• How Citizens' Assemblies would work – random selection, expert information, and facilitated deliberation
• Irish success story – how a Citizens' Assembly tackled abortion reform in a traditionally Catholic country
• The Opportunities Party's "not left, not right, but forward" approach to breaking political deadlock.
• How Citizens' Voice policy could be implemented after the 2026 election

Learn more about the Citizens' Voice campaign and The Opportunities Party at https://www.top.org.nz