Andy Asquith

Dr Andy Asquith is an Industry Fellow at the Institute for Public Policy and Governance at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). He is a dedicated local government scholar with extensive experience in public policy and governance. Previously, he was at the John Curtin Institute of Public Policy at Curtin University in Western Australia and served as Director of the Public Management Group at Massey University in New Zealand where he was recognized as the leading academic commentator on local government.

Andy's research interests focus on local government systems, public administration, and governance. His work spans comparative studies across New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Italy, and the UK. He has particular expertise in municipal amalgamations, electoral systems, voter turnout, crisis management, and the evolving relationship between central and local government. His scholarship combines theoretical frameworks with practical insights from his direct political engagement.

His publication record shows a strong emphasis on how local governments navigate crises, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, where he developed the influential framework of local governments as policy-makers, policy-takers, and policy-shapers. His work frequently examines institutional reform processes, democratic engagement challenges, and comparative governance structures across different political systems.

Andy brings unique practical experience to his scholarship, having stood for election to local councils on four occasions - twice in the UK during the 1990s and most recently in New Zealand where he contested the Palmerston North Mayoralty in 2019, narrowly missing election by just 47 votes. This practitioner perspective informs his academic work on local democracy and governance.