Luke Malpass reports from sunny but cold Dusseldorf in Germany about the increase in house prices since 2009. Luke also talks about the availability of space for housing development and what the government are doing to increase it. Read more
To those of us in the Anglo world, Germany can seem an odd place. Corduroy suits are in vogue and pretty news presenters look like they have quickly thrown on their boyfriend’s shirt after a night of passion. Read more
Governments use the minimum wage to keep workers with the least skills or work experience out of work, albeit as an undesired consequence rather than a direct intent. School-leavers have the least work experience – in addition, the lack of basic standards of literacy and numeracy is an enormous handicap for 10% to 20% of school-leavers. Read more
Lasciate ogni speranza voi ch’entrate (“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here”) is written above the gates of hell in Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. Following last weekend’s elections, this gloomy admonishment might fit Italy as well. Read more
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Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard will be the keynote speaker at the The New Zealand Initiative’s annual retreat dinner in Auckland on 21 March. Mr Howard will speak about ‘Trans-Tasman Relations in the Pacific Century.’ “My talk will focus on some of the joint opportunities and challenges before Australia and New Zealand in a regional economy dominated by the continued development of China and many other Asian economies,” says Mr Howard Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative, says John Howard’s talk will be educational, inspiring, and enlightening. Read more
I am currently on a research trip studying local government and housing affordability in different jurisdictions around the world. This week, I have been in and around London conducting interviews and meetings. Read more
Here are three riddles for you. For solutions, read on. Read more
The battle between motorists and cyclists never ends. Motorists think cyclists are pests and shouldn’t be allowed to ride on the roads because they block the way and are accidents waiting to happen. Read more
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Research Fellow, Luke Malpass, talks from cold London about his 'Housing Affordability' project and the lessons that can be learnt from the United Kingdom. Read more
Prime Minister John Key wants to change a constitutional settlement that has lasted 173 years. He proposes to extend parliamentary terms to four years, with a fixed election date at the end. Read more
When it comes to parliamentary term lengths and etiquette, my colleague and boss Dr Oliver Hartwich is sadly misguided. The arguments for four- (or five-) year fixed parliamentary term can be summed up as stability, predictability and giving government time to implement its agenda. Read more