The government’s draft Emissions Budget gets a few important things right. It abandons measures like subsidies for electric vehicles that, perhaps counterintuitively, cannot reduce net national emissions. Read more
“And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost.” Gandalf This week and last week, The Listener ran five articles revisiting New Zealand’s economic reforms from 1984 to 1993. Four of those articles had little good to say about them, or the people who led them with such clarity, courage and determination. Read more
This week, Stuff reported on a story that seemed so absurd, it caught our attention: the idea to fence a pool on a remote island, just meters away from the Pacific Ocean. On Motukawaiti Island, 3.5km off Northland’s coast, authorities have mandated that a small swimming pool be enclosed. Read more
New Zealand has long enjoyed its reputation as one of the world's most transparent and business-friendly nations. Does it deserve this reputation? Read more
Australians are accustomed to a much deeper and more diverse media landscape than New Zealanders. Across the ditch, the media ecosystem can be startlingly shallow. Read more
Policy problems should be dealt with by the level and part of government best placed to deal with them. Good public policy should recognise subsidiarity. Read more
I wonder whether Media Minister Paul Goldsmith appreciates the problem that he has caused for the tech sector, for media companies, for himself, and for his government. Before the election, National Party spokesperson Melissa Lee condemned Labour’s Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill. Read more
New Zealand has an opportunity to reform its transport system. Road pricing can help create a smarter, more efficient transport network across our cities and highways. Read more
Last Thursday, as any readers not currently residing under rocks will know, there was a general election in the UK. Labour won big, earning the second largest parliamentary majority in the party’s history. Read more
My fellow Americans, I used to carry around this little book. Or maybe it was a big book. Read more
Folks, let me tell you about this thing, this beautiful, incredible thing we have. It’s called the Constitution. Read more
New Zealand’s transport system has veered off course. Our cities are choked with traffic and our state highways are crumbling. Read more
The 2024 UK general election will go down in history as a seismic shift in British politics. But not for the reasons many commentators suggest. Read more
Another step towards much-needed reform of New Zealand's resource management laws is underway, in the form of a Bill to restore balance and streamline processes. The Resource Management Act (RMA) and associated regulations have become a serious handbrake on the economy. Read more
Recent events across the Western world paint a troubling picture. The unsettling Trump-Biden debate, the rise of populist parties in Europe, and a surge in Euroscepticism all point to a system in distress. Read more