I have to admit that it's taken me some time to get through this. Academic writing combined with a focus on law is not an area that I'm particularly good at speeding through, reading-wise, so lucky for me I was able to renew my library copy until I got done with it! I had to read a lot of paragraphs more than once, is what I'm saying, especially when what I like to think of as government-speak rears its unclear head (what, I ask you, is a "peer-learning cluster" when it's at home? I have only the vaguest of ideas.) A lot of the chapters here, though, did seem to be written with an eye for the general reader, which I was grateful for. The chapter on Rangatahi Courts by Judge Heemi Taumaunu, for example, was a masterclass in lucidity, which was probably why it was my favourite.

Bitching about academic prose aside, though, this was an extremely interesting book, primarily I think because of the broad nature of its approach. Public policy covers a wide range, and there were chapters here on youth justice, maternity services, broadcasting, heritage landscapes, international trade, the electoral system, local government, and more. When you're like me and not a specialist in any of these areas, this very generalist approach to the topic helps to give an overall picture of how the Treaty is used (or not used, or could be used) to improve public policy. I really appreciate that, and the careful curation of topics here has left me feeling a little more educated, at least.