Preliminary observations: The brief I accepted in preparing this report was to comment on employment law developments in New Zealand since the Employment Contracts Act 1991 (‘the ECA’) commenced operation on 15 May 1991. The ECA has major political, social, and economic, as well as legal, significance. Read more
There are many aspects of the global picture I might cover with you today. But I would prefer to deal with one particular aspect at length so I propose to talk mainly about why the concept of the United Europe has become a threat to New Zealand, and what we can do about it. Read more
After an introduction like the one delivered by Douglas Myers, sometimes the safest thing to do is to sit down. It has been five and a half years since I last visited here, and I am happy to report that the changes in the mood that I have seen in New Zealand, and in its physical surroundings, have been palpable. Read more
It’s hard not to feel good about the current business environment in New Zealand. Most of us in business today are, for the first time in our lives, part of a successful economy. Read more
This report examines the potential for reforming the water industry. It focuses on mechanisms for allocating water between different uses as well as the institutional arrangements governing businesses that supply water and wastewater services. Read more
The provision and funding of fire services affects every household and firm. Most fire services are currently provided collectively on a national basis. Read more
This study looks at the progress that has been made in improving the contribution of local government to community welfare and identifies areas where improvements still need to be made. Read more
All parties in the kiwifruit industry are seeking improved profitability, which would contribute to an increase in national income. This is the primary objective of the current industry review which is evaluating options “to maximise the profitability of those in the industry and the net benefits to New Zealand.” Read more
Last month there was a spate of commentaries marking the anniversary of the election of the Labour government in 1984 and reviewing a decade of change in New Zealand. There was overwhelming agreement that the changes were mostly for the better and that the clock would not be turned back. Read more
Unemployment is unacceptably high in New Zealand. Although it is now falling sharply, on the latest figures 8.4 percent of the reported labour force is still without employment. Read more
It is unrealistic to ask at this early stage whether the Resource Management Act has been a “success”. We still to a very large extent in transition from one regime to another. Read more
This report addresses the question of what should become of New Zealand's minimum wage law. Read more
A year ago the New Zealand Business Roundtable published the ACIL report Agricultural Marketing Regulation: Reality versus Doctrine. Since then its conclusions have been widely debated and there have been developments in each of the five major industries studied. Read more
The 93,000 kilometre roading network is one of the New Zealand’s most expensive assets. In the absence of any official estimate, informed observers put its depreciated replacement cost at around $60 billion. Read more