Transport historian Dr André Brett has suggested that Wellington be renamed Lowerer Hutt, perhaps to help avoid confusion within the region. Economists Matthew Maltman and Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy have been looking at Lower Hutt’s housing boom. Read more
There was remarkable agreement at the New Zealand Economics Forum last week. Waikato University’s Forum is now an annual feature of the policy calendar, barring Covid interruptions. Read more
With age comes wisdom – or so it is said. Yet exceptions abound. Read more
I’ve always had a focus on New Zealand’s infrastructure issues. Like many other waste enthusiasts, I’ve been concerned about the likely impact of the incoming government’s focus on cost-efficiency on our infrastructure outcomes. Read more
It is often said that New Zealand faces an infrastructure deficit. In an influential paper, economic consultancy Sense Partners estimated the cost of addressing this shortfall as over $200 billion. Read more
Visiting family in England as the new year got off to a chilly start, there was one story that dominated the headlines. A news story that, curiously enough, was prompted by a drama series that we had watched on the telly only a few days before. Read more
Tucker Carlson’s visit to Moscow made headlines in recent weeks. Carlson first did a servile interview with Putin, then produced a series of short videos expressing his admiration for Moscow, its underground and even supermarket shopping carts. Read more
Never lead the Titans to revolt against the Olympian gods. It can cause a bit of back pain. Read more
New Zealand faces a significant challenge: building essential smaller scale infrastructure assets like schools, medical facilities and social housing. These initiatives may not be as grand as the likes of City Rail Link and other mega-projects, but they are equally (if not more) vital for our communities. Read more
Television audiences were granted a rare privilege last week: an extended interview with warmongering President Vladimir Putin to “set the record straight” on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. And who better to provide the pulpit of truth for this enlightening exchange? Read more
‘Hard cases make bad law’ is a common legal adage. It means the more worthy a cause, the more tempting it will be for a court to stretch the law to make it fit. Read more
The World Justice Project ranks New Zealand 7th out of 142 countries on its ‘Rule of Law Index’, narrowly ahead of Australia’s 13th place. However, Australia still has hope – if only because of a recent decision by the Supreme Court of New Zealand. Read more
The classic Simpsons “Monorail” episode wasn’t just a cautionary tale about local council megaprojects gone wrong. Monorail salesman Lyle Lanley told the good people of Springfield that he’d “sold monorails to Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook. Read more
It might still be a longshot. But an interesting thread ran through this year’s Waitangi speeches and interviews. Read more
Despite initial hopes that New Zealand would align itself with the trilateral strategic partnership between the US, the UK and Australia (AUKUS), New Zealand recently shut down any suggestion that this was a possibility. Whilst this may come as a surprise to New Zealand’s traditional allies, the reason for this is simple: New Zealand is too dependent on Chinese trade to risk jeopardising its relationship with the world’s 2nd largest economy. Read more