OPINION

Apart from longer life expectancy, better health, improved education, a cleaner environment, better opportunities for our children and a happier country, what has economic growth ever done for New Zealanders? Last night, MPs Chris Bishop, Dr David Clark and James Shaw debated the merits of economic growth, and of our recent report on it, at Mac’s Brew Bar in Wellington for an audience of about 150. Read more

A small think tank though we may be, we are inclined to believe that the research reports we produce are capable of influencing policy change that will help make New Zealand the best little country it can possibly be. And, like many think tanks and research centres the world over, we understand that ensuring our policy recommendations are consumed by as wide an audience as possible is the best way to promote that change. Read more

Last week, I wrote about Ben Bernanke’s critique of Germany’s exorbitant trade surplus (Bernanke’s misguided fix for Germany, April 9). My conclusion may have surprised a few readers: The best way to deal with the German surplus would be to take Germany out of the eurozone. Read more

The #eFairnessNZ campaign says it wants to level the playing field between imported goods and those bought domestically by New Zealand consumers. Because it costs more to collect the tax on lower valued goods than the tax revenues are worth, GST is not charged on imported products valued at less than $400. Read more

Sometimes, it takes a Labour leader to point out the deadweight costs of taxation. And so there is a lot to like in Andrew Little’s economic policy statement. Read more

With two-fifths of the country caught in the grips of it, and the rest watching with a mix of awe, jealousy and sheer horror, it is easy to forget that Auckland’s housing market is more than an exciting exhibition. Figures like those released by Barfoot & Thompson this week do little to dispel the perception that housing in the country’s biggest city is anything but a fantastic spectacle, with March sales setting new records across a range of measures. Read more

The Reserve Bank of Australia’s surprise decision not to cut interest rates only postponed the expected 'parity party' between the Kiwi and the Aussie dollars. The way things are going, it is a matter of time until both currencies are of equal value. Read more

The Reserve Bank of Australia’s surprise decision not to cut interest rates only postponed the expected “parity party” between the Kiwi and the Aussie dollars. The way things are going, it is a matter of time until both currencies are of equal value. Read more

It has long been a slight coup of environmentalists that one of the West’s most formidable and iconic Conservatives, Margaret Thatcher, was deeply concerned about striking the balance between economic growth and climate change. As a recent example, take Club of Rome member Ian Dunlop’s comments in the Sydney Morning Herald. Read more

A few things puzzle me in the rights-holders' cease and desist letter to New Zealand ISPs offering "Global Mode" services. That's likely because I am not a lawyer. Read more

Since March 30, former Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke has been blogging on economic policy for the Brookings Institution, where he is a Distinguished Fellow in Residence. His first posts dealt with questions such as why interest rates were so low, the thesis of a ‘secular stagnation’ and the global savings glut. Read more

Should it be illegal to be a bit of a jerk? While all but the most tragic of politics aficionados watched the Black Caps grind through a cliffhanger semifinal win against South Africa rather than watching Parliament TV, the Harmful Digital Communications Bill passed its second reading. Read more

Recently, solicitors Mark Campbell and William Findlay of Russell McVeagh responded to an editorial I had written that questioned WorkSafe’s decision to prosecute the Ministry for Social Development for a shooting in Ashburton. The case involved an individual who wordlessly walked into a Work and Income office with a shotgun, killed two people and seriously injured another, and then walked out. Read more

To begin with an anecdote, a Western diplomat recently told me about a meeting he once had with a Chinese counterpart. They both wanted to discuss issues relating to the Pacific Islands. Read more

Radical leftists like the Greek government under Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and nationalist right-wingers like France’s National Front do not have many things in common. However, they can both hope to be supported by Moscow. Read more