Show Notes
Dr Catherine Leonard, co-founder of Māori-owned research firm Ihi Research, has spent 13 years studying the hardest problems in New Zealand society — youth crime, drug harm, family violence, mental health, and poverty.
In this episode she cuts through the noise: what does the evidence actually say about boot camps, ram raids, and drug checking?
Why do simple solutions to complex problems almost always fail? And what can New Zealand learn from Scotland's approach to youth incarceration?
A conversation full of data, empathy, and a few uncomfortable truths.
Chapters 00:00 Introduction — what is Ihi Research and where the name comes from 01:30 Doing research with people, not to people — Catherine's founding philosophy 03:00 The myth of "just work harder" — why lifting yourself out of poverty is harder than it looks 05:30 Meritocracy and the 50-metre head start — how privilege shapes opportunity 08:00 How the government invests in society — and how Ihi measures whether it's working 09:30 Boot camps: what the evidence actually says (spoiler: don't do it) 12:00 What does work — community-based youth mental health in Lower Hutt 15:00 Why empathy isn't just kindness — it's how we build a safer society 17:30 150 unintentional drug deaths a year in New Zealand — and why we don't talk about it 20:00 Drug checking at Electric Ave — how it works and why police support it 23:30 New Zealand first in the world — drug checking legislation that actually saves lives 25:30 Are we measuring the right things? Wellbeing economics vs social investment 27:00 Ram raids and moral panic — youth crime was actually decreasing 29:00 Scotland's bold move: zero under-18s incarcerated — and what NZ could learn 31:00 Why Catherine is starting her own podcast — and the wrap Links
Ihi Research - https://www.ihi.co.nz Instagram - @ihiresearch
Red Nine Studios - https://www.redninestudios.com Recorded at - @redninestudios Podcast - @recordedatrednine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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