How do markets and governments operate in education and what is the best way to organise, finance and regulate education? Mark Harrison assesses the performance of the New Zealand school sector, the impact of the reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, and current government spending policies. Read more
The government's own projections make it clear that New Zealand will not achieve its 'top priority' goal of increasing sustainable growth under current policies. Read more
The New Zealand Business Roundtable supports government moves to reduce tax barriers to international recruitment, but would like to see more attention paid to keeping wealth-producing New Zealand. Read more
The proposals discussed in the report entail a substantial erosion of private property rights which is detrimental to prosperity. Land-based industries, such as farming and forestry, and tourism are directly affected. Read more
The NZBR and its members have a major stake in the performance of the legal profession and the legal system. Large businesses are major users of legal services, both for advice and litigation. Read more
The measures in the Bill are inconsistent with the government's prime economic objective - securing faster economic growth. Read more
This submission analyses how the ADR comes to its mistaken conclusions. It focuses on its policy framework and on the cost benefit analysis that underlies the claim that $71.25m net benefits by confusing consumer benefits with efficiency gains. Read more
Economics has been called the dismal science. But, in modern times at least, it has tended to be environmentalists rather than economists who have put forward a dismal view of the world. Read more
Property rights, including Maori customary rights, are at the heart of the issue of ownership of the foreshore and seabed. Read more
A New Deal is a manifesto for New Zealand’s schools, one with great potential to raise education standards and expectations for every child. It takes stock of the fundamental strengths and weaknesses of our present education system and what is needed to lift the quality of education standards, close the large performance gap between underprivileged schools and their better-off peers, and make New Zealand a stronger competitor in the global marketplace. Read more
Under part 3 of the Telecommunications Act 2001. the Telecommunications Commissioner is annually required to determine the net cost to Telecom New Zealand (Telecom) of services provided under the Telecommunications Service Obligations (TSO) Deed for Local Residential Telephone Service 2001. Read more
This submission provides a high-level assessment of the Holidays Bill and the Holidays (Four Weeks Annual Leave) Amendment Bill. In particular, it examines broad issues relating to the regulation of holidays in a modern and diverse labour market. Read more
The present electricity crisis demonstrates that too many of the government's policies are incompatible with its stated priority of economic growth. Read more
A core issue in relation to all the proposals is whether or to what extent the NZX and the government (directly or via the Securities Commission) should prescribe corporate governance rules or whether they should be the business of shareholders who invest in listed companies. Read more
The only hope of achieving consensus and stability on retirement income is to build policies on a sound conceptual foundation. Policies in the recent past lacked such a foundation and proved unsustainable. Read more