A journalist’s list of the ten most important issues politically facing us did not mention inequality and poverty. Why?
Read MoreEconomy
Are we spending enough on healthcare?
The government is restraining its spending on healthcare – perhaps by over $2 billion a year. Is that what we really want?
Read MoreCh-ch-changes: Are you – or your child – doing the best course?
Most university classes start today... but is university the smart way to go? And which training leads to the best incomes? Two pieces of research can help you make a wise choice... or even change paths
Read MoreDo the ISDS Provisions in the TPPA Reduce Our Sovereignty?
The short answer is all trade reduces sovereignty to some extent. The TPPA is no exception, but its effect is probably small.
Read MoreCan We afford Not to Adopt the TPPA?
A key issue may not be what is in the TPPA, but that by not adopting it we may ruin the other international agreements we are pursuing.
Read MoreStory-telling: Getting to the truth about NZ agriculture
The time is right to be telling the story of New Zealand food production. But what should we say? And are our marketers up to the job?
Read MoreChina Jitters
World Sharemarkets Are Sneezing. What Does That Tell Us About the World Economy?
Read MoreOpponents of the TPP have been vague about their alternative
It’s time for opponents of the TPP to stop the gesture politics and answer some questions - like what is the alternative you propose? Do you really believe we can stay out of the TPP on our own? And do you want to pull out of the agreement after it is signed?
Read MoreMaking Quality Judgements
A book on the history of the Literary Fund raises broad questions of how our bureaucracy works.
Read MoreA Return To ‘Think Big’?
The strange economic assessment of the proposed extension to Wellington Airport’s runway reduces to a plea for subsidies from tax and ratepayers.
Read MoreWhadarya?
The Ethnic Future for New Zealand Is Unknown. But It Will Be Diverse and Different
Read MoreIs Our Economics Good Enough?
A report on social services by the Productivity Commission raises serious problems about the quality of analysis in New Zealand.
Read MoreThe Future of Trade Agreements
Given a long history of numerous trade agreements, why has the public become especially concerned about the TPP?
Read MoreFeeding the world
New Zealand is leading the way in sustainable agriculture, and that presents an opportunity to cash in
Read MoreThe TPP, Sovereignty and Copyright
While TPP – any trade deal – compromises sovereignty it does not mean we cannot respond constructively to unsatisfactory aspects such as those involving intellectual property.
Read MoreThrive: The Power of Psychological Therapy: Richard Layard & David M Clark
The book’s ‘message is as compelling as it is important: the social costs of mental illness are terribly high and the costs of effective treatments are surprisingly low'. Daniel Kahneman (psychologist and Nobel economics laureate).
Read MoreLessons From Greece
Travel extends the mind. Here are some of the things I learned from a recent trip to Greece: about the age of the human condition, about how civilisations end with environmental depletion, about the stresses to the current Greek economy and about how trivial are New Zealand news websites.
Read MoreWe need to talk about the one per cent
One per cent of the world's population now control half its wealth.
The concentration of more and more resources in fewer and fewer hands has actually accelerated since the global financial crisis. This is no accident. It is the outcome of policy decisions made – or avoided – by political leaders either unable to learn the lessons of the crisis or unwilling to act on them.
Read MoreWhere is the world economy going?
The more one is certain about the state of an economy, the more one is likely to be wrong; the more one is certain about the state of an economy, the greater the media coverage. No wonder the public is confused.
Read MoreOwning New Zealand
How Much of New Zealand Has to Be Owned and Controlled by Foreigners?
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