Nobody would wish to defend corporate irresponsibility or suggest that businesses should behave antisocially. It is little wonder therefore that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a popular notion. Read more
One problem in any technical field is that some technical terms sound like ordinary language, and people outside the field, familiar with their ordinary meaning, mistakenly assume they understand them. Consider all the people who think they really understand the theory of relativity - except for the details. Read more
In this modern age of global commerce, it seems odd that I have been asked to address the topic 'In defence of the corporation'. Even the most ardent critic of the corporation would not take the position that the corporate form should be dismissed as an ill-conceived venture of modernity so that it would be for the better to be rid of it and return to being a nation of artisans. Read more
Martin Wolf is associate editor and chief economics commentator at the Financial Times. He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in 2000 for services to financial journalism. Read more
It is my pleasure to welcome you to what I am certain will be a stimulating address by Richard Epstein, professor of law at the University of Chicago and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. This is professor Epstein’s fourth visit to New Zealand. Read more
In our view the Draft Report's recommendation that the government engage with the International Energy Agency (IEA) directly over oil security issues is sensible. We consider that the government will be able to do this more effectively if it gathers more information about willingness to pay and if it approaches the issues in a structured manner, using the framework for evaluating regulatory proposals in the Cabinet Manual. Read more
Since 1994 the Fiscal Responsibility Act has been a key element of New Zealand’s framework for sustaining fiscal surpluses and reducing net indebtedness. Bryce Wilkinson reviews New Zealand’s experience with the Act, identifies its strengths and weaknesses, and suggests improvements. Read more
The Draft Report provisionally recommends that the termination of voice calls on a non-third generation (3G) cellular mobile telephone network should be regulated on a cost basis. It does not recommend regulation of 3G mobile services. Read more
This submission on the report of the Savings Product Working Group (the SPWG) is made by the New Zealand Business Roundtable, an organisation comprising primarily chief executives of major New Zealand business firms. 1 The purpose of the Business Roundtable is to contribute to the development of sound public policies that reflect overall New Zealand interests. Read more
It’s not just about the money is the second paper in a series that forms part of the New Zealand Institute’s initial research program on Creating an Ownership Society. This paper follows on from our first paper – The wealth of a nation – which was released in July. Read more
Professor Epstein is on his fourth visit to New Zealand. He has been enormously generous in helping people in this country with the many topics he has worked on. Read more
The Business Roundtable has taken a close interest in superannuation issues and has contributed to all government reviews undertaken since the mid-1980s. Government policy on superannuation is a significant issue for superannuitants, people of working age and the wider community. Read more
There is a widely held view that businesses must adopt a new conception of their mission and conduct, by endorsing and implementing ‘corporate social responsibility’. David Henderson argues that now, as in the past, the primary role of business is to act as a vehicle for economic progress. Read more
The foreshore and seabed should generally be publicly owned with open access, subject to existing private rights.
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The wealth of a nation is the first paper in a series that forms part of the New Zealand Institute's initial research program on Creating an Ownership Society. Read more