You wouldn’t trust an economist to give you a smear test. So is it reasonable to expect those working in health to grasp economics? Read more
Mayors want devolved power to deal with issues facing their communities. If that power comes with responsibility, and accountability, central government should take the request seriously. Read more
As a German living in New Zealand, I have the rare privilege of following not one but two election campaigns this year. Both of them are fought under the obscure MMP electoral system, and both of them are culminating on the same weekend. Read more
Last week The Herald premiered Under the Bridge, a three-part documentary about life in Papakura High School: a low decile school plagued with a reputation for persistent poor performance. Despite increasing government support, the school’s achievement statistics remained among the lowest in the country and its student roll continued to decline as students and teachers lost hope. Read more
You probably shouldn’t tell your boss you are reading this. If the Initiative’s newsletter regularly gets you worked up, agitated or argumentative then you might be better off comforting yourself by looking at cat pictures. Read more
It is more likely for a dog to compile an inventory of sausages than for a politician to build up financial reserves. At least that is how one former German finance minister, the late Franz Josef Strauss, once described the constant temptations for fiscal policy. Read more
We're all going to die. We're not all going to die tomorrow, although these days it feels like the apocalypse is looming, but it will happen to all of us. Read more
I am married to an immigrant. It is not something I often need to confront. Read more
National’s 2010 budget provided substantial tax cuts. But it also implemented an important tax switch at the same time. Read more
One of the most refreshing developments in New Zealand politics is the sudden appearance of Gareth Morgan’s Opportunities Party. No matter whether you love or loathe Morgan, it is uplifting to have a party that defines itself as an ideas and policy movement. Read more
Let’s engage in an absurd exercise. Do immigrants, just in coming to New Zealand, make apples more expensive? Read more
The New Zealand Initiative this week made a case for why, when assessing immigration, it is important to count the benefits and not just the costs. Not surprisingly it was greeted with an intemperate response from NZ First leader Winston Peters, who railed at our finding that migrants are not stealing jobs from Kiwis. Read more
Six months ago, when we started scoping the Initiative’s immigration report, we had a very specific audience in mind: Winston Peters. Our aim was to assemble all the available research and have a fact-based conversation with New Zealand’s most prominent immigration sceptic. Read more
Misery loves company. My misery: Trying to find a half-way decent, reasonably priced flat within walking distance to work that will not cost me an arm and a leg, during the busiest month of the year. Read more
Every American election brings howls of outrage from supporters of the losing side. It’s pretty common to hear about all the people who will move to Canada, or to New Zealand, because of how awful the winning candidate is. Read more