Everyone knows that the status quo with respect to housing is “unsustainable”. The Prime Minister now seems to recognise the need for fundamental change and the opposition has recently offered to work with the government to find non-partisan solutions. Read more
New Zealand’s housing is a national catastrophe. House prices have gone up by 37% nationally since 2015, according to ANZ. Read more
Last week’s CPI figures, showing an annual inflation rate of 1.4% in the December quarter, were accompanied by a warning from the Council of Trade Unions’ economist Craig Renney. He noted that inflation hits the poor harder than other groups. Read more
If land use and housing regulations prevent metropolitan areas from growing up or out as demand for housing increases, there is only one avenue of adjustment left. Prices increase. Read more
On 1 February, the chair of the Climate Change Commission, Dr Rod Carr, will descend the mount with his first emissions budget. He will deliver not commandments but advice, the first draft of a plan for how New Zealand will cut emissions over the next 15 years. Read more
After a tumultuous four years, Joe Biden will this week raise his right hand and swear an oath to uphold the Constitution as the 46th President of the United States. Before then, President Trump will almost certainly use his power as President to issue pardons. Read more
Wellington, 15 January 2021 - The New Zealand Initiative welcomes today’s announcement of quarantine-free travel to New Zealand from the Cook Islands. Initiative Chief Economist Dr Eric Crampton said, “About 80,000 Cook Islanders live in New Zealand. Read more
As the world approaches the end of this annus horribilis, there is a sense of relief. Not just because 2020 will soon be history but also because the economic disaster could have been so much worse. Read more
Last week, the government finally released the Simpson-Roche report detailing the failures that led to August’s Covid outbreak in Auckland. Some of the failures, like inadequate testing regimes for MIQ staff and border workers, were entirely preventable. Read more
Insights 48 / 18 December: Christmas wishes from the Initiative Insights 47 / 11 December: Note From The Executive Director | World-leading Mediocrity |When Cutting Emissions Cuts No Ice | The Abolition Of Scarcity Insights 46/ 4 December: Minimum wages to the max | Grassroots rebellions | The curse of scarce money Insights 45/27 November: Expensive housing | Education Ministry strikes fool’s gold | Military theatre Insights 44 / 20 November: It’s the emissions, stupid! | To graduation and beyond | That’s not how this works Insights 43 / 13 November: Good news weeks | Why house prices are high | What are the turtles standing on? Read more
They thought banning migrant farm labour would boost wages for native-born farm workers. They were wrong. Read more
Eric Crampton joins Newstalk ZB to analyse the latest GDP figures. Read more
In his latest podcast on Newstalk ZB, Leighton Smith talks to Oliver Hartwich about citizenship, the Emissions Trading Scheme, China, education, and other matters.
The New Zealand Initiative · Leighton Smith podcast with Oliver Hartwich Read more
New Zealand needs better friends, if comments by other countries about our efforts to reduce emissions are to be believed. Last week, Newsroom reported “players like the United Kingdom and the European Union have promised much more ambitious cuts [in greenhouse gas emissions] and pledged not to use international offsets. Read more
Canada’s carbon tax is set to rise from its current $30 per tonne ($33 NZD) to $170 per tonne ($188 NZD) by 2030. A credible price on carbon is the strongest commitment a country can make in reducing carbon emissions. Read more