When Judith Collins and Julie-Anne Genter argue about expensive Auckland transport projects, I worry that they’re both right about the problems in the other’s preferred alternative. And it points to the need for better ways of deciding on transport investments. Read more

KiwiBuild never made any sense and could not work. The reason was simple. Read more

If you're going to read the Commerce Commission's market study on supermarkets in New Zealand, I'd suggest starting with the first half of Chapter 6 which explains the difficulties facing any potential new entrant. As far as I'm concerned, evidence on margins and such really don't mean much unless there are substantial restrictions against new entry. Read more

About a year ago, North American friends started looking to New Zealand as an early glimpse of their own potential post-Covid world. They were still stuck in lockdowns; we had emerged from ours. Read more

The government allocated $50 billion in Budget 2020 to deal with the pandemic - on top of the $12.1 billion already allocated. We were going to spend what was needed for a strong public health response. Read more

Governments and councils have two basic levers for achieving policy objectives. They can spend money on programmes aimed at providing the desired outcome. Read more

Japan’s post Second World War economic growth was astonishing. Despite widespread devastation, Japan produced an economic miracle. Read more

When the government set a binding cap on New Zealand’s net emissions through the Emissions Trading Scheme, it also set a second cap – on prices. The hope was that that second cap would not really be needed, but it looks like it might become relevant rather sooner than anyone expected. Read more

Last year’s cannabis referendum failed by a 51% to 49% margin. Drug reform advocates have since suggested decriminalising drug possession as alternative. Read more