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In 2010, the National-led government launched a rather substantial experiment. Auckland City’s smaller councils were forced to amalgamate into a supercity structure. Read more
Oliver Hartwich talks to Rachel Smalley, Today FM about the greatest challenge facing New Zealand. He explains the work of The New Zealand Initiative and highlights it's research on public policy issues across the spectrum from local government, housing, planning and education. Read more
As an exemplar of the purest form of Kiwi anti-growth, anti-development orientation, it is hard to beat. If New Zealand doesn’t beat this particular habit, it is very hard to be optimistic about anything other than emigration. Read more
On 4 June, The Dominion Post published a lengthy and disturbing article highlighting the woes and dilemmas of earthquake safety regulation in Wellington. It highlighted the arbitrariness of current building standards and decisions. Read more
It’s hard to solve a problem like Working for Families. The most frustrating thing, for an economist who watches policy, are the policy dollar bills left lying around on sidewalks. Read more
Oliver Hartwich talks to Michael Laws, The Platform about housing in New Zealand. He comments on a range of issues including affordability, building costs and the supply of materials, local government, land supply and land zoning, and interest rates. Read more
Reading through Wellington council’s draft economic wellbeing strategy isn’t great for an economist’s mental wellbeing. Our capital city faces a lot of challenges. Read more
A week is not just a long time in politics. It is a long time for democracy. Read more
From the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans to the masterful wit of Jonathan Swift and Frederic Bastiat, authors have used satire to highlight follies and vices, lampoon political figures, and point out pressing societal issues. Fast forward to our modern age of content warnings, censorship, and accusations of fake news. Read more
The Commerce Commission’s final report into retail grocery competition, released this morning, recommends legalising new grocery stores. While it is not formally illegal to start a new supermarket chain, zoning and regulatory barriers make it effectively impossible. Read more