Perched in the high vantage of a think tank it is easy to spot a politician who by accident stumbles on a major problem in our society simply by opining on one or other of the issues of the day. Most recently it was the turn of ACT Party Leader David Seymour to perform this accidental but vital service to society. Read more
With the domestic sale of electronic cigarettes set for legalisation, the Ministry of Health is deciding on regulations to govern where, how and to whom they’re sold. The NZ Initiative’s Jenesa Jeram makes the argument for a light hand. Read more
When you are running out of ideas on how to spoil a party, just invite a German. That must have been the idea when Sir Geoffrey Palmer and Andrew Butler asked me to speak at the Auckland launch of their book, Constitution of Aotearoa New Zealand. Read more
Next week New Zealanders will elect their local government representatives for the next three years. This is an important democratic right, and yet three in five New Zealanders will probably choose to do just about anything but vote. Read more
Having attended a couple of conferences in Miami last week, it was time to fly back to New Zealand on Monday night (US Eastern Standard Time). The in-flight entertainment on our domestic flight to LA was excellent: we had live TV, and the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was on. Read more
While most would say Clinton emerged the more composed and polished candidate in the United States presidential debate, it would appear Trump won at least one important battle. More people were talking about him on Twitter. Read more
Dr Andrew Butler and Sir Geoffrey Palmer’s new book, A Written Constitution for Aotearoa New Zealand, proposes radical changes. This is not entirely a surprise. Read more
A back-to-basics approach is more important than fads when it comes to regional economic development. If rising house prices are not enough to make Wellington residents feel better about themselves, a recent article about the city’s vibrant economy and culture should do the trick. Read more
It is said that if something is not broken you should not try to fix it. Fair enough. Read more
Departing MP Kevin Hague’s valedictory speech this week offered us this astute insight: "The economy is not some force of nature. It is a collection of tools that we can re-engineer to help us meet social goals." It is such a shame so few politicians view the economy in this way. Read more
School exam papers do not often make the headlines, but when they do it is always for the wrong reasons. The recent saga about an unexpectedly difficult NCEA algebra exam may be a case in point. Read more
In the world of international organisations, there is probably none quite like the Mont Pelerin Society. Founded by a small group of academics in 1947, its mission is to keep the idea of classical liberalism alive – not by PR or propaganda but simply through facilitating discussions among members. Read more
The launch of the first report on recreational fisheries caused quite a stir. The media sent alarms that decreasing daily bag limits were inevitable, and that we were running out of fish. Read more
Open the pages of any major newspaper and you will be inundated with reasons why New Zealand needs to tackle its housing affordability crisis. It needs to be fixed to stop bank balance sheets from imploding, to free capital trapped in unproductive assets, or to put that all-important first rung on the housing ladder within greater reach of first home buyers. Read more
New Zealand maintained its third place ranking in this year’s Economic Freedom of the World reports, but it’s hardly a place allowing markets in everything. And that can be costly. Read more
