Emissions pricing and congestion pricing have a lot in common. The economics of both are straightforward. Read more
When presenting Budget 2021 last week, Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced that work is underway to develop an unemployment insurance scheme. Details are limited. Read more
“Soz, I meen spelng dozent mattr!” For those who haven’t heard, a British university has instructed its lecturers to overlook incorrect spelling, punctuation and grammar. Why? Read more
As American historian and philosopher Will Durant observed, "Civilisation is not inherited; it has to be learned and earned by each generation anew." That is a more polite way of saying that humans make mistakes, cause damage, then repair the mess. . Read more
Where do we come from? What has shaped this country? Read more
Last week’s government budget reinforced the sense of fiscal fantasy that arises when one contemplates the unprecedented deficit spending funded by central bank credit creation occurring here and elsewhere. The government plans to borrow around $30 billion net in the coming fiscal year. Read more
The biggest risk to New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme isn’t technical issues in how the scheme is run or in its accounting. The biggest risk instead is politics. Read more
Clean air is certainly the flavour of the month in Europe judging from the skyrocketing price of carbon. Since April last year, emissions units on the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (“ETS”) have nearly quadrupled from €15 to above €56 (NZ$95) this week. Read more
I was very disappointed with the recent housing announcements. Partly because they will increase my rent. Read more
As economics Nobel laureate Paul Krugman once put it, “Productivity isn’t everything, but, in the long run, it is almost everything.” Which makes you wonder what Krugman would think of yesterday’s Budget. Hidden behind headlines of benefit increases, spending initiatives and a new unemployment insurance scheme lies a worrying small detail. Read more
It was an urgent warning that German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung published last week. Its authors warned of rising inflation, “massive social upheavals” and further political polarisation. Read more
In colonial India, Delhi had a little problem with cobras. Since cobras can cause unpleasant things, like death, a solution was needed. Read more
Potential skilled migrants deserve a few warnings about what they are getting into in moving to New Zealand – the kinds of disclosures that are often mandatory in the private sector to ensure consumers can make informed decisions The Fair Trading Act’s provisions against deceptive and misleading conduct do not seem to apply to Immigration New Zealand. Caveat emptor. Read more
A worker producing $30 worth of widgets per hour but receiving a salary of $40 per hour would soon lose his job. No employer would be willing to subsidise their employees like that. Read more
The third column in our Insights newsletter is meant to be lighter. Something a bit wry or humorous – an amuse-bouche to close out the week. Read more