Two weeks ago, I suggested a treaty ending international film subsidies. Government funding for local cultural content can be defensible. Read more
New medicines are slow to be authorised for the New Zealand market. Even if a medicine has already been approved by many other trustworthy overseas regulators like those in Canada, the UK, Australia, and the EU, Medsafe can take a very long time to evaluate a medicine. Read more
You’ve got to admire MBIE. Really. Read more
New Zealanders should be grateful to any party that clearly outlines its goals, so we welcome the Greens’ presentation of their Green Budget. That said, what they have presented is more than just a Budget. Read more
Next week’s Budget is Nicola Willis’s opportunity to prove the government means business about restoring fiscal discipline. Treasury’s long-term models are flashing red. Read more
Prime Minister Luxon has declared 2025 ‘the year of growth’, making economic expansion his government’s top priority. This ambition is laudable, and the government has initiated many important reforms that will help. Read more
Last Tuesday, Friedrich Merz looked fatally wounded before his time in office had even properly begun. The new German chancellor was to be formally confirmed in the Bundestag. Read more
‘History doesn’t repeat,’ Mark Twain is said to have said, ‘but it often rhymes.’ And there could hardly be a better example of two events rhyming than the recent Canadian and Australian elections. In both countries, the centre-right was flying high in the polls, with leads of up to 20% in Canada and 10% in Australia. Read more
Effective policy reform often comes from seemingly minor initiatives. Small changes can lead to significant improvements if they incentivise the right things. Read more
When Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV, the global fishing expedition began. Journalists avidly trawled through his life, turning over every stone: his CV, rare interviews and, inevitably, the modern oracle: his X (formerly Twitter) account. Read more
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus is condemned to spend eternity rolling a massive boulder uphill, time after time, for no lasting gain. Every time he gets it uphill, it escapes his grasp and rolls back to the bottom. Read more
Watching Australia’s 2025 federal election from Wellington gave me an uncanny sense of déjà vu. As Labor swept to power with a commanding parliamentary majority and the Liberal-National Coalition suffered its worst defeat in generations, I could not help but think: “I have seen this movie before.” New Zealand’s Labour Party swept to power in 2020 with the first single-party majority under our proportional representation system. Read more
New Zealand generally likes arms control treaties. I have a modest proposal for a disarmament treaty. Read more
Donald Trump returned to power with America’s highly politicised universities squarely in his sights. Within weeks of his inauguration, his administration launched a sweeping campaign targeting dozens of institutions nationwide. Read more
Government economists sometimes try to fight the last war rather than the one they’re in. It’s understandable. Read more