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The most important norm in economics was set by economist Vilfredo Pareto about a century ago. Put simply, the Pareto Criterion says that anything making at least one person better off, while making nobody else worse off, is desirable. Read more
Improving compensation for live organ donors is a rare opportunity to save and improve lives, whilst also saving the government money over the longer term. Elizabeth Prasad demonstrates that every kidney transplant provides recipients with longer and better lives, while being much cheaper than dialysis. Read more
For my sins in generally supporting consumer choice in food consumption, and in interests of fostering healthy debate, the Agencies for Nutrition Action invited me to argue with the Morgan Foundation’s Geoff Simmons on the merits of fat taxes and food regulation at his annual conference in Auckland a few weeks ago. The nutritionists put on an excellent conference. Read more
Humans often make stupid decisions - contrary to what we’d prefer to believe. Most psychologists would argue we’re not actually all that rational. Read more
It’s tough for parties in the opposition benches. They have been stripped of a major rod with which to beat National in an election year. Read more
For professional reasons, Rachel Smalley may have had to quickly retract her unfortunate on-air slip, where she labelled New Zealand women ‘heifers’ and ‘lardos’, but the facts speak for themselves. According to the Ministry of Health, one-in-three adults in New Zealand is obese, with a Body Mass Index reading of 30 or more. Read more
Individuals should – and in most countries including New Zealand they do – have the right to make their own decisions about their lifestyle, such as which career path to follow, what to wear, and what to eat and drink. A number of lifestyle choices, particularly those regarding diet and exercise, have direct effects on an individual’s physical health. Read more
A national interest perspective in the context of the Law Commissions’ inquiry means giving primacy to the interests of consumers. In respect of alcohol, it does not, as in the days of pervasive controls on competition in the liquor industry, mean favouring producer interests. Read more
The indicators of productivity in New Zealand's health sector are reason for concern, as is the paucity of transparent and reliable information with which to evaluate the effectiveness of policies and management. In spite of continuing substantial - and possibly unsustainable - increases in funding each year, the system struggles to meet some of its obligations, for example to provide treatment to all those who qualify under the points system. Read more
Health care has become an enormously contentious political and intellectual issue over recent years, both in the United States and else-where in the world. Previously the debate had taken place mainly among technical people - academics and health specialists. Read more