It was a picture worth a thousand words. Four or five stooped, scared-looking figures on an aeroplane, black hoods over their heads. Read more
New Zealand is facing enormous challenges. We’re mired in recession. Read more
It has been reported that the Minister is considering public-private partnerships to build schools. In fact, though, all school builds are effectively public-private partnerships. Read more
The cancellation of KiwiRail’s $3 billion upgrade of the decrepit fleet of Cook Strait ferries provides an opportunity to finally build what New Zealand really needs: the Cook Strait Bridge. This 27-kilometre monument to Kiwi ingenuity would show the world that we’re serious about infrastructure – and provide a handy escape hatch for those fleeing Wellington. Read more
New Zealand has finally achieved a free trade agreement with the EU. It was years in the making. Read more
“All political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and of human affairs.” At least according to Enoch Powell, and Powell certainly knew what he was writing about. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern may be a rare exception. Read more
The new Government’s Budget Policy Statement, released yesterday, reflects the daunting fiscal challenges inherited from the previous Labour-led Government’s tax-deficit-and-spend policies. We empathise with the current Government’s predicament, having to navigate the consequences of excessive spending, high inflation, and a recession. Read more
How complex is too complex? My new report for the New Zealand Initiative, Cabinet Congestion: The Growth of a Ministerial Maze, poses this question with respect to the executive branch of New Zealand’s Government. Read more
We all have our strange little hobbies. I keep an eye out for mentions of a shonky old estimate on the social cost of alcohol. Read more
Cast your mind back to the tense post-election negotiations of last year. Despite the prolonged talks, frequent clashes in the media and ominous noises from Winston, we all knew how it would end: a three-way coalition between National, Act, and New Zealand First. Read more
“Read my lips: No new taxes.” These were the famous words uttered by George H. W. Read more
It isn’t that there are never $20 notes lying on the footpath, it’s that when markets are working well, there are strong incentives to find and pick them up. A $20 note shouldn’t have to wait very long before being grabbed. Read more
As the debate around New Zealand’s public finances intensifies, with talks of fiscal holes and prudent debt levels, it is time for a frank discussion about the country’s long-term fiscal sustainability. In his exit interview on TVNZ’s Q+A programme, former Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s suggested that New Zealand can and should sustain higher government debt levels than the current 30% of GDP target. Read more
We live in divided times. Where once there was disagreement over solutions, today there is disagreement over facts. Read more
My research note last week highlighted a massive mystery. Between 31 March 2009 and 30 September 2023, New Zealanders spent $158 billion more overseas than we earned on current account. Read more