OPINION

Normally, neither governments nor economists are fans of monopolies. Monopolies restrict production to draw higher prices on what they sell. Read more

American political scientist Francis Fukuyama is best known for declaring the “end of history” after the Cold War. History, of course, had other plans. Read more

Resources Minister Shane Jones recently floated a novel idea: government-backed insurance for oil and gas investors to protect them against future policy reversals. Let that sink in. Read more

The United States is in turmoil, and so is its currency. Since Donald Trump slapped tariffs on all imports, global markets have retreated. Read more

One hundred days into Donald Trump’s second presidency, his economic nationalism has produced an unexpected consequence. The man who campaigned on ‘America First’ and delivered sweeping tariffs within weeks of retaking office has become an unlikely champion of free trade – by forcing his opponents to defend it. Read more

This year marks my twentieth anniversary working in think tanks. Two decades ago, I produced my first major publication for London’s Policy Exchange with the late Professor Alan W. Read more

For decades, New Zealand’s industry training system has been a poor cousin to the university system. In recent years, only about 6% of school leavers have undertaken apprenticeships. Read more

If asked to nominate the main objective of public schooling, most people would probably say that it is to teach young people the knowledge they need to thrive in adult life. However, according to the Education and Training Act, that is just one of four equally important objectives. Read more

A drunkard searches for keys under a street lamp. When asked if he lost them there, he replies: "No, but the light is better here." Economists can also seek solutions to poverty, inequality and social problems in familiar places. Read more

Every Saturday morning, our preteen son chats to his grandparents in Germany – on Skype. They swap jokes, blow kisses and add balloons or mistletoe to the screen. Read more

There is plenty to like about Auckland, but its traffic is not one of them. As a South Islander, who makes occasional visits to the City of Sails, I dread its infamous traffic. Read more

Come the next pandemic, we are going to be in the same stupid mess that we were in during the last one. Trusted pharmaceutical regulators overseas, like those in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the UK, will have given provisional approvals for vaccines that are safe. Read more

Last week, New Zealand’s Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced what she presented as a significant 25 percent cut to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s operating budget. The headlines were dramatic: the RBNZ would need to tighten its belt and focus on core functions. Read more

When does a “woman” include a biological male? And who gets to decide – Parliament or the courts? Read more

There’s a fragility to rules-based orders that has been around for as long as those orders have. So long as people generally agree that it is good to be bound by the rules, and that trying to change the rules is better than ignoring or breaking them, a rules-based order can persist. Read more