Fitness for purpose in politics
What can politicians who care about value for money in government hope to achieve? Where should they focus their efforts? Read more
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What can politicians who care about value for money in government hope to achieve? Where should they focus their efforts? Read more
Anybody even remotely connected with housing, housing research, the building industry – or with the ability to fog a mirror by breathing on it – had to know it was near-impossible for the government to meet its KiwiBuild promises on its 10-year schedule. Our current planning rules, infrastructure financing mechanisms, building materials supply regulations, council incentives, zoning, training of construction workers, rules around letting more construction workers into the country, rules around foreign builders being able to build here, rules around foreign financing of building projects, Resource Management Act processes – all of it made any non-trivial KiwiBuild impossible. Read more
Readers will be familiar with that exasperating feeling of looking for something and not finding it. You know it should be there, but it is missing. Read more
During her tour of Europe last month, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wrote a piece in the Financial Times. As it was published behind the London newspaper’s paywall, most New Zealanders probably missed it (though a copy is available on the Beehive’s website). Read more
The Reserve Bank is an unusual entity. It has a board that is not a board, and a governor who is also a chief executive. Read more
New Zealand's tax brackets don't accurately reflect what counts as "high earning" in this country, critics say. Since 2008, the highest personal income tax rate has kicked in on earnings over $70,000 a year. Read more
Read The New Zealand Initiative's submission to the Independent Expert Advisory Panel on Phase 2 of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act Review. Read more
A panel - chaired by the former National Prime Minister Jim Bolger - has made recommendations to the government on how best to set up Fair Pay Agreements that would set minimum terms and conditions for all workers in the same sector or occupation in a bid to stop a slide in pay. The report has yet to be made public, but the National Party has been told some of the recommendations - chiefly that a fair pay negotiation could be triggered with the support of just ten per cent of a workforce nationwide. Read more
With Jacinda Ardern meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May to discuss trade agreements, Dr Oliver Hartwich speaks to Newstalk ZB and says this is an important chance to discuss our post-Brexit trading relationship and a good opportunity to remind the Brits that there are other countries who would like to trade with Britain.
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New Zealand workers on the minimum wage are set for a significant pay rise. The Government has announced it will increase the minimum wage to $17.70 an hour on April 1, with further increases to take it to $20 by 2021. Read more