This week, Environment Minister David Parker released his draft Natural and Built Environments bill. It is the first of three pieces of legislation to replace the Resource Management Act. Read more
Senior economist Matt Burgess discusses New Zealand’s agricultural emissions. If you would like to listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more
In recent months there have been a few changes to KiwiSaver with more under consideration. But those who are inclined to tinker with the scheme should be looking at the evidence on its efficacy and thinking about whether any changes are consistent with its objective – to help those with a savings problem save more for their retirement. Read more
To maximise wellbeing, important public policies and programmes must work. They should be rigorously evaluated to ensure that they have the intended effect, are efficient, and meet their objectives. Read more
At least the old Cold War made for better entertainment. Exchanges of captured spies at dusk at Berlin’s Glienicke Bridge. Read more
Oliver Hartwich and Eric Crampton talk to Nelson-based immigration advisor Carsten Hallwass about New Zealand’s immigration settings and the effect of Covid-19. If you would like to listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more
Last week’s post-Covid fiscal and monetary policy workshop, hosted jointly by the Reserve Bank and Treasury, seemed designed to warm the policy economics community to higher levels of public debt. While low interest rates mean investment projects that might not normally make the grade can now stack up, stacking up debt builds its own fragility. Read more
According to the Peter Principle, people in a hierarchy tend to rise to their "level of incompetence." While intended as satire, many people will have their own story of the Peter Principle in practice. Of a boss not up to the role they have been promoted to fulfil. Read more
A news item this week reported the Minister of Health was “enormously frustrated”. We can think of quite a few in the private sector who know that feeling. Read more
I am increasingly convinced that our impressive economic recovery from COVID is being led by orange cones. The things are everywhere, clogging up our roads and cycleways and footpaths. Read more
The Initiative’s Steen Videbeck reflects on his career as an economist and a teacher – and he explains how he combines both perspectives in his new research project on literacy in New Zealand. If you would like to listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more
The global pandemic has led to a lot of political catchphrases, such as Green New Deal, and Build Back Better. Are these slogans of little substance, or will we soon see the state take a more assertive role in the economy? Read more
In our submission to the Ministry of Transport on transport emissions - pathways to net zero by 2050, we support the commitment to lower emissions and our national emissions targets. MoT’s strategy to reduce transport emissions is incompatible with national targets. Read more
Roger Partridge talks to Mike Hosking on Breakfast about his new report that says our employment protection laws make it hard to fire poorly performing senior managers.
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Readers of this column will be only too well aware why the Government’s proposals to return to compulsory, occupation-wide collective bargaining (misleadingly dubbed “Fair Pay Agreements”) will damage New Zealand’s already fragile productivity growth. The evidence is set out in black and white in The New Zealand Initiative’s 2019 report, Work in Progress: Why Fair Pay Agreements would be bad for labour. Read more