Literacy rates in New Zealand present a paradox. Our renowned Reading Recovery programme is an international export success. Read more
If politicians could make companies more productive and innovative by decree, they would have done so a long time ago. That did not stop the previous government from actively trying to steer companies’ research and development activities. Read more
The government plans to build 100,000 ‘affordable’ houses in the next 10 years. How much greater is the housing stock likely to be in 10, 15 or 20 years as a result? Read more
I know that people who aren’t economists manage to raise kids and that it all seems to work out in the end, but I’m not entirely sure how. I have learned that standard practice in the Crampton household diverges a bit from practice elsewhere. Read more
Is it possible to have too both too much and too little of something at the same time? This may sound like a problem posed by quantum physics but the question arises with something much more prosaic: bus drivers. Read more
While our tobacco policy is flawed, the Government needs to make the most of new technology like vaping, argues Jenesa Jeram argues on Newstalk ZB. Read more
Eric Crampton comments on the new taxi service to rival Uber. Zoomy now has more than 80,000 app downloads and more than 2000 drivers, but can it become profitable? Read more
The head of the country's largest Māori public health organisation wants the Government to develop a strategy to end tobacco sales in New Zealand. Hāpai Te Hauora chief executive Lance Norman made the call at a briefing of the health and Māori affairs select committees on the country's Smokefree 2025 target. Read more
A few weeks ago, I wrote in Insights that public health policy works in mysterious ways. I stand by that statement. Read more
The candles have barely dimmed since his last birthday and we’re already celebrating Karl Marx’s 200th birthday, capitalism’s arch-critic. Over the past couple of centuries, capitalism has come to dominate a large part of the Western world. Read more
The two most exciting items in this year’s budget barely even made it into the budget tables. Both point toward better fiscal futures. Read more
Government spending decisions can be popular or unpopular; they can be justified and unjustified. We all like to criticise the government for unjustified spending to increase its popularity. Read more
Wellington (17 May 2018): The New Zealand Initiative applauds today’s Budget 2018 announcement of an independent fiscal institution. Associate Finance Minister James Shaw announced a new independent body to assess government forecasts and cost political party election promises. Read more
Eric Crampton discusses Budget 2018 with Andrew Dickens. He says there are not many surprises, but he does find a few risks. Read more
The best thing about budgets in New Zealand is that they are just a little bit boring. Our fiscal conventions ensure big changes are telegraphed well in advance. Read more