If New Zealand were anywhere other than right next to Australia, our current rates of economic growth, unemployment and proximity to developing global markets would be the envy of the world. As it is, comparisons with Australia are not always useful. Read more
Around 50 years ago, the newly independent Finland identified education as a key nation-building exercise. Ever since, Finland’s public school system has been of interest to other countries. Read more
George Mason University’s Mercatus Center is a top public policy think tank based in Virginia near Washington, DC. Some of its 2012 publications might be of interest to readers of Insights: a 28-page blueprint for regulatory reform in the United States (the blueprint could be easily applied to New Zealand). Read more
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On Saturday, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets to decry the government’s austerity policies. Trade union leaders called for an end to budget cuts and privatisation. Read more
It's hard for supporters when salaries trump team loyalties. As I was watching Wellington Phoenix beat Sydney FC 2-0, I wasn’t sure which was stranger: seeing legendary Italian striker Alessandro Del Piero play football in New Zealand, or supporting a team dressed in black and yellow? Read more
The story has been going on for so long that it is hard to imagine daily news without Kim Dotcom. Ever since the controversial internet entrepreneur’s arrest on his Auckland estate, which is as oversized as his personality, the Dotcom saga has fluctuated between spy story, political scandal, and soap opera. Read more
Around the world, leftist intellectuals have used Sweden as a poster child for the idea that socialism can simultaneously lead to prosperity and equality. Proponents of free enterprise usually don’t know how to respond to such statements. Read more
Celebrating what New Zealand is good at seems a natural choice to me. And New Zealand’s simple approach to governance is often a critical component. Read more
Ladies and gentlemen, Thank you very much for the invitation to speak to you today. It’s a great pleasure to be here and present you with “A Global View of New Zealand’s Economy”. Read more
The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union’s ‘jobs crisis’ summit in Auckland will be over in an hour or so after you receive this edition of Insights. The secretary of the EPMU, Bill Newson, claimed before the summit that the decline of manufacturing reflects 30 years of ‘hands-off’ economic management. Read more
Education is valuable and having one should improve your life prospects. But does a generic bachelor’s degree guarantee its owner influence, riches and success? Read more
This week’s report by UNICEF highlighted slow internet speeds as the biggest first world problem for around 80% of New Zealanders. Current infrastructure is struggling to meet the daily demands of consumers, causing network congestion. Read more
To international observers, Der Spiegel’s current cover must look rather odd. "Attention! Read more
The productivity commissions in New Zealand and Australia recently completed a joint study to mark the thirtieth anniversary of Closer Economic Relations (CER) and examine ways to further strengthen economic ties between the two countries. This was a welcome development, as there is a feeling that CER has stalled over the past couple of decades, particularly in capital flows and mutual recognition of franking and imputationcredits. Read more