To solve a problem, first you have to understand it. Once you understand it, you sometimes realise that it isn’t the same problem you had thought. Read more
From my native Germany to my adopted home of New Zealand, I have observed a curious phenomenon in modern politics: political leaders who enjoy far greater esteem internationally than they do closer to home. Jacinda Ardern was one such politician. Read more
Last week, French Prime Minister Michel Barnier faced parliament defiantly. Despite lacking a majority, he tried to push through controversial reforms using Article 49.3 of the Constitution – a mechanism allowing the government to bypass parliamentary votes. Read more
Last night, 850 of New Zealand’s business leaders gathered at Auckland’s Viaduct Events Centre for the 35th Deloitte Top 200 Awards. The Awards are New Zealand’s premier celebration of corporate excellence. Read more
The Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) runs every four years. It measures Year 5 and Year 9 students in different countries on what they have learned in science and mathematics. Read more
Most national holidays revolve around either somber reflections or consumerism. It is time for New Zealand to formally recognise the cultural phenomenon that best captures our national spirit: Crate Day. Read more
For over three decades, New Zealand has laboured under an employment law paradox. Laws designed to protect ordinary workers from arbitrary dismissal have constrained firms when dealing with poorly performing senior managers. Read more
Last week, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand cut the Official Cash Rate by 50 basis points to 4.25 percent. In contrast, the RBA kept Australia’s cash rate on hold at its last meeting. Read more
The tech sector’s pivot to Trump was an especially odd aspect of a decidedly odd American Presidential election. Silicon Valley’s tech sector had previously seemed populated by centrist Democrats – Peter Thiel aside. Read more
My recent report, Who Makes the Law? Reining in the Supreme Court,[i] has sparked widespread debate about judicial overreach by the Supreme Court. Read more
Economists’ open letters don’t have that great of a track record. In 1981, some 364 economists warned against UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s fiscal policies. Read more
New Zealand is building its way out of its housing crisis. A few years ago, the island nation was synonymous with unaffordability. Read more
Last week, eleven New Zealand economists issued a public letter advocating more government spending relative to revenue. That means yet more debt. Read more
New Zealand introduced a comprehensive GST in 1986. Value-added taxes elsewhere were riddled with politically-driven exemptions. Read more
You might think that a national organisation awarding research grants would fund the best proposals. You might even think that funding decisions would be made by experts who can identify quality when they see it. Read more