Reports & Media

Mohammed Alsahani once had an upholstery business in Damascus. But when civil war broke out in Syria, he and his family were forced to flee. Read more

Read more

Since New Zealand just had to discuss the meaning of free speech, perhaps it is worth defining what free speech is. And what it is not. Read more

Last month France celebrated the storming of the Bastille, an assault that became a flashpoint for the French Revolution. As a fortress and prison, the Bastille was emblematic of the French monarchy. Read more

It’s that time of year again where foodies like me can indulge in Wellington’s best burgers, beer, and if you’re lucky, a degustation or two. That’s right, it’s August already and it’s the first day of Wellington on a Plate (WOAP). Read more

Treasury is the heart of economic expertise in government. But it is more than that. Read more

Many of us will remember those gloomy days in late 2008 when the Global Financial Crisis peaked. Stock markets around the world crashed, Lehman Brothers collapsed, and the world’s financial system was on its knees. Read more

Whenever a bartender enthusiastically asks me whether I want to save the turtles, I like to look them dead in the eyes and without hesitation say “no”. Don’t get me wrong, turtles have never done anything to offend me personally. Read more

“If all the economists were laid end to end, they’d never reach a conclusion,” said Irish dramatist George Bernard Shaw. Or at least that is who the quote is attributed to. Read more

Two contradictory views about tax are common in New Zealand. One is outrage about tax avoidance; the other is denial that tax rates matter. Read more

This Sunday Bridget Williams Books is holding a panel discussion on the infantile proposition that tax is love. Really? Read more

New Zealand has blazed a trail in many areas – not least in opening up its economy to the rest of the world. In the 1980s reforming Labour governments axed the thicket of protectionist tariffs and subsidies that penalised consumers and cossetted – but ultimately held back – Kiwi farmers. Read more