February weather forecasting on the Canadian prairies was relatively simple. Southerlies brought warmth. Read more
Dear Commerce Commission. Why can’t I parallel import a house, one piece at a time? Read more
Oliver Hartwich joins Ben Craven for the final NZ Initiative podcast of 2021. The pair recap the highlights of the past twelve months, look at how the Initiative has influenced policy, and outline plans for 2022. Read more
New Year’s and Christmas are traditional occasions to reminisce about the past twelve months and wonder what the next will bring. Looking in the back mirror is easier. Read more
With the Auckland border coming down today, it is tempting to talk about Covid. There is certainly plenty still to say. Read more
Eric Crampton joins MagicTalk’s Wilhelmina Shrimpton to weigh up the ACT Party’s tax policy. The pair discuss the high cost of living, bracket creep, and the types of poor-value government spending that could be abolished to allow tax cuts. Read more
Is there anything worse than a politician who does not understand economics? The answer is a politician who mistakenly thinks he does. Read more
“We made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.” It’s a cliché from old gangster movies. Either side can just walk away from normal business negotiations if a deal is not in their mutual interest. Read more
Festivus comes but once a year – December 23rd. Observants of the holiday popularised in a decades-old episode of Seinfeld raise the aluminium pole of celebration and air their grievances. Read more
The Prime Minister started the week looking ahead to the New Year. “It can’t always be Covid,” Ardern said in an interview on Monday. Read more
US President Herbert Hoover once stated, “Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt.” Right now, young people have a reason to be concerned. Since Covid-19 arrived 18 months ago, New Zealand’s net public debt has nearly doubled. Read more
Oliver Hartwich joins Ben Craven to discuss the government’s proposal for social unemployment insurance, and the lessons New Zealand should heed from Germany’s experience with social security. To listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more
On Newstalk ZB, Mike Hosking reviews and reads out parts of Oliver Hartwich's article in the NZ Herald on social insurance lessons from Germany. In the article, Oliver says New Zealanders who have never worked abroad may not appreciate just how much Europeans contribute to their various insurance schemes. Read more
Distance was supposed to be dead. The first dot-com boom promised an end to distance’s tyranny. Read more
Is there anyone who could be against something as positive sounding as ‘Social Unemployment Insurance’? Social Unemployment Insurance, a scheme the Government is currently developing, evokes compassion and a desire to help those in need. Read more