Perceptions of fairness in New Zealand

New research sheds light on New Zealanders’ views about fairness

What does fairness mean to New Zealanders?  An understanding of how New Zealanders think about fairness can help policy advisors to provide more informed advice on the equity implications of policy choices.

A new study conducted by NZIER and Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures in partnership with New Zealand Treasury reveals that New Zealanders tend to agree about what fairness means, and what is important for fairness, but disagree about whether life in New Zealand is fair and about what drives differences in outcomes.

Phase 1 report
Phase 2 report

“Our research aims to support public sector agencies in providing advice on the distributional and equity implications of policy choices and raising awareness of different perspectives on fairness and economic inequality,” says Dr Sarah Hogan, NZIER deputy chief executive.

“We found that people tend to agree on what fairness means, but disagree about whether life in New Zealand is fair. That has direct implications for policies aimed at addressing inequities,” says Koi Tū deputy director Dr Anne Bardsley.

About the research

The research investigated both the values that people think are important and their views on what life in New Zealand is really like. A survey using a representative sample of the adult population provided an initial understanding of what fairness means to New Zealanders. Using insights from the survey, the research team then used an online deliberative engagement tool to develop a more nuanced understanding of the variety of perceptions of fairness.

Read more about the process

Results

• There was significant agreement between participants about what fairness means and what is important for fairness. However, there was disagreement about whether life in New Zealand is fair and about what drives differences in outcomes.
• People are more likely to agree that fairness is about how outcomes are achieved rather than what the outcomes are. Specifically, people were most likely to say that fairness is about equal opportunities and reward for effort, individual rights and freedoms, and social, legal and political equality.
• Most New Zealanders feel that quality of life and access to opportunities and services are more important for fairness than income or wealth.
• New Zealanders disagree about how fair life actually is. More people think life is fair for them than not, and more people think that life was fairer 30 years ago. People tend to think life is less fair for other people than for themselves.
• When it comes to the fairness of economic outcomes in particular (rather than fairness in general), people were most concerned about ensuring everyone has enough and prioritising those who are worse off than others. However, this was seen as less important than equal opportunities.
• Most New Zealanders belong to one of two opinion groups. The larger group believes that people have different starting points in life, and fairness means providing resources or opportunities to overcome those differences. The smaller group – which tends to be older and more male – believes that people already have equal opportunities and should be rewarded for their efforts or choices.

Future directions

The research raises a range of further questions, such as:

• How do perspectives vary across different sectors such as environment, health and infrastructure?
• How can different views about fairness be reconciled?
• How can we effectively incorporate these views into public policy advice?

For further information, please contact:
Anne Bardsley
Koi Tū Deputy Director
027 630 2296
a.bardsley@auckland.ac.nz