In the world of politics, timing is everything. And sometimes, the timing of events can create a curious contrast that cries out for a closer look. Read more
Donald Trump convinced himself and a lot of Americans he could build a wall at America’s southern border and make Mexico pay for it. It was an obviously terrible idea. Read more
A few months ago, I stepped into a parallel universe. I was following up a routine administrative task and soon found myself outside a building I’d never seen before, after 10 years working at Victoria University. Read more
It can be hard for a country to admit that one of its idols has feet of clay. As it happens, one of New Zealand’s educational idols not only had feet of clay, but her name was Clay. Read more
In Tuesday’s parliamentary questions, Minister of Finance Grant Robertson engaged in some impressive word play. He had previously dismissed exempting fresh food and vegetables from GST. Read more
From the vantage point of my earlier career at think tanks in London and Sydney, I have had front-row seats to the theatre of value-added tax (VAT) and goods and services tax (GST) policy lunacy. I have seen this seemingly innocent taxation mechanism morph into a clumsy beast, causing bureaucratic nightmares and economic distortions. Read more
As a sometimes absent-minded academic, I’m often very grateful for non-academic staff. Helping me set up my courses before the trimester begins. Read more
There is plenty of room for honest disagreement on economic policy. Normally, it’s about trade-offs among worthy goals. Read more
Politicians are naturally drawn to top-down solutions. For one thing, they afford Ministers the illusion of control. Read more
New Zealand prides itself on being an open trading nation. When it comes to trade in goods and services this claim is certainly true. Read more
Everyone knows that Wellington’s CBD will thrive when those who know best ban cars. People will love coming into the CBD to buy bulky products, such as a microwave, to cart home on the handlebars of their bicycles. Read more
The number of potholes on the country’s highways has more than doubled since 2017. In 2022 alone, more than 54,000 needed urgent repair. Read more
With his surprising decision not just to resign but to step away from politics altogether, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has created a phase of uncertainty. Rutte’s tenure, one of the longest among European heads of government, was previously characterised by adroit navigation of a political environment that can be as challenging as it is diverse. Read more
There is no chance it is deliberate. Deliberateness would require more coordination than government is able to manage these days. Read more
Meetings of the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF) are a regular fixture in the calendars of Australian and New Zealand business leaders and politicians. But their content has also become regular – which is to say, repetitive. Read more