Population growth is always an issue of intense debate, bouncing between a nation’s acceptance (and need) for migrants and an anti-foreigner sentiment. New Zealand and Australia are both typical and similar in this regard – both have relatively low populations for their size. Read more
New Zealand’s leaky building saga has shaken public confidence in both the building industry and the regulatory competence of government. The growth of the Certified Builders Association of New Zealand (CBANZ) is an example of a market response to the problem. Read more
The New Zealand Initiative is delighted to host ex-IMF director and world authority on fiscal policy, Vito Tanzi. A former Italian finance minister, Dr Tanzi is an economist of international renown with expertise in taxation, economic development, and macroeconomics. Read more
After three years of the euro crisis, and despite numerous summits, various acronymed bailouts, and countless solemn pledges to save Europe’s common currency, we are nowhere closer to a solution than at the outset. The euro’s troubles have every chance of joining poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, violence in the Middle East and North Korea’s nuclear program as a standard feature of the world in which we live: unpleasant, dangerous and yet seemingly unalterable. Read more
Watch the University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington battle it out with the moot: This house believes that we need higher taxes on the rich. Read more
Economics students generally learn how to deal with recessions in their first semester. To cushion the economy in a downturn and speed up the recovery, students are taught to cut interest rates and provide fiscal stimulus. Read more
Global food security is an increasing challenge. A growing middle class in developing countries are demanding more protein. Read more
In the cult TV comedy Arrested Development, a character called Tobias Funke starts a folk band called “Dr Tobias Funke’s 100% good-time family band solution.” He and his family travel to medical conferences singing folk tunes persuading people to buy a lifestyle drug produced by a big pharma called Teamocil. Unfortunately, the sense of wellness in relationships created by Teamocil turns out to be the first sign of complete pituitary shutdown. Read more
Have we spent too much for too long? Are the clever financial instruments that were supposed to prop up the system starting to buckle? Read more
Have we spent too much for too long? Are the clever financial instruments that were supposed to prop up the system starting to buckle? Read more
The most remarkable feature of the global financial crisis is its sheer duration. For five years now, developed economies have been in trouble – much longer than ‘ordinary’ recessions usually last. Read more
Watch the Victoria University of Wellington and University of Canterbury battle it out with the moot: Issue of the minimum wage and whether it makes for a fair start in the workforce. Read more
Few things in politics look more certain than a change of government after the next Australian election in 2013. The Gillard Labor government is polling abysmally and plagued by constant leadership quarrels. Read more
The National Party has announced it will reduce the number of long-term beneficiaries by 30 per cent in five years. Ambitious stuff, but notably absent from the government’s Better Public Services programme is a commitment to ignore industry requests for state lifelines that may arise. Read more
As the Olympics begin to wind up, and countries reflect on their performance, the inevitable calls for reviewing funding arrangements are beginning to pour in. So far, these calls in New Zealand have been muted, mainly because we have done well – with the added bonus of winning more gold medals than Australia for much of the games. Read more