The rationales of individual freedom and personal responsibility with Eric Crampton, head of research at The New Zealand Initiative. Tonight, the economics around organ donation and sale. Read more
Wellington (25 August 2015): Improving compensation for live organ donors is a rare opportunity to save both lives and healthcare dollars, according to a report released today by The New Zealand Initiative. Author Elizabeth Prasad found that every transplant provides recipients with longer and better lives, while being much cheaper than dialysis – saving the government money over the longer term. Read more
Earlier this month Genesis Energy announced it was mothballing New Zealand’s only large scale coal fired electricity plant. The move, effective as of late 2018, will reduce the country’s total CO2 emissions by about 2.5%, setting the sector on course to produce 90% of the country’s electricity from renewable sources. Read more
If public policy and economic theory were dating, their Facebook relationship status might read “It’s complicated”. This is because what is sometimes simple to explain on a whiteboard by economists can often be difficult to prove in real life. Read more
You can tell how the mood of the global economy is turning by looking at the books getting published. Over the past few days, review copies of two new books landed on my desk. Read more
The power to say no is also the power to make the rules, or at least in part. Parliament legislates. Read more
The current issue of Policy Quarterly, published by Victoria University of Wellington, has a special focus on Budget 2015. It kicks off with an article by New Zealand Children's Commissioner, Richard Wills. Read more
Dr Hartwich on SBS Radio: Greece saved!? Read more
As the third Greek bailout package is currently being debated in eurozone parliaments, it is already becoming clear that it will not be sufficient. On Tuesday, the day before the Bundestag’s vote, two German broadsheets highlighted some of the uncertainties around the package. Read more
Watch Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Auckland battle it out with the moot: This house believes that high house prices make us poorer as a nation. We will have panellists Phil Twyford, MP, Labour Party Housing Spokesperson and Andrew King, Executive Officer, New Zealand Property Investors Federation. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton on Radio NZ: Government looking at ways to add GST to online services Read more
Dr Bryce Wilkinson on Radio NZ: Largest foreign investor in NZ revealed. Read more
Watch the University of Canterbury and University of Auckland battle it out with the moot: This house believes that economic growth always comes at the expense of people and the environment. We will have panellists Sir Roger Douglas and Sue Bradford. Read more
Dr Bryce Wilkinson of The New Zealand Initiative discusses KPMG's Foreign Direct Investment analysis on TVNZ Breakfast, 17 August 2015. Read more
Online shoppers beware: getting that cheap paperback from Book Depository could get a lot harder. But, it will depend on just how the government goes about taxing direct-to-consumer imports. Read more