He writes weekly columns in the Dominion Post, The Press and the Otago Daily Times and a monthly column in Management Magazine. He has written six books plus several editions of a guide to journalists covering elections and many chapters in books and has written or edited six books or monographs for the Institute of Policy Studies. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Victoria University of Wellington in 2008. He is chair of Motu Economic and Public Policy Research. He is a fellow of the Institute of Public Administration and a life member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery and the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union.