Reports & Media

Economist John Stuart Mill saw utility as “the feelings of pain and pleasure”. The utility, or usefulness, of something depends on how much it satisfies a person's needs or wants. Read more

Later this month, at a conference organised by a global asset management firm, I will be participating in a debate on the moot that investment markets are driven by factors other than financial fundamentals. So far, all I know is that I will be arguing the case for the affirmative. Read more

Labour has been busy announcing a series of election promises for education: helping parents provide digital devices for every child, covering school donations, and the latest – reducing class sizes. The first two attempt to address issues of inequality of opportunity for school students; wealthier families are more able to provide their children with modern learning tools, and school donations represent much less of a burden on the household budget than for less affluent parents. Read more

I am probably inviting a storm of controversy, but I think the perfect motif for the movie industry profession should not be film reel, but a figure with their hand wedged deeply in the taxpayer’s pocket. Sir Peter Jackson recently bemoaned that funding levels for film production in New Zealand have remained at about $12 million per annum since the late 1980s even as the cost of production has risen. Read more

Over the last week, Labour have announced an impressive array of educational policies. While it is impossible to comment on every single proposal, two of their major initiatives – on digital devices and class sizes – are worth discussion. Read more

Taxes are one of the most tangible links between the government and civil society. We all pay taxes in some form, and in exchange we expect the government to provide certain goods and services: roads, infrastructure, the courts, law enforcement, education, and support for society’s most vulnerable. Read more

For the Germans, July 8 was a good day. Not just because it also happened to be your columnist’s birthday or because of Germany’s emphatic 7-1 win over Brazil in the World Cup, but because this year, it also marked Germany’s Tax Freedom Day. Read more

There is a common saying that human rights are what make us human. But with the modern expansion of human rights beyond its classical origins, are we becoming more human, or less? Read more

On Thursday at the University of Auckland Business School, two world authorities are talking on the most important economic debate of the last century, and asking this question: How do you restore health to an economy in difficulty? It is a question that countries around the world have been pondering since the onset of the Global Financial Crisis. Read more

If you have ever bought a used car, you will be familiar with this problem. The seller, of course, knows whether the car is reliable, he may know the previous owners, and he would also be aware of any hidden flaws. Read more

Last week, I wrote about Angela Merkel’s declining influence in Europe. For a number of domestic and international reasons, the German Chancellor can no longer enforce austerity and economic reforms in the eurozone. Read more

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If you were to ask ten people on the street what they would consider a successful life, I can almost guarantee you would get ten completely different answers. According to Woody Allen, simply showing up accounts for 80 per cent of success. Read more

Education is a highly polarized and political area. But here’s one thing no one can deny the importance of in education: relationships. Read more

Regulations govern conduct and a well-regulated society is a well-ordered and civil society. But bring up the topic of government regulation and expect passionately polarised responses for or against more rules or less red tape. Read more