Traditionally Capital Gains Tax (CGT) has been politically untouchable. What does the handling of the issue tell us about the government’s political skills?
Read MoreEconomy
The Cult of the Generic Manager
Are New Zealand managers good enough; are we relying too much upon them?
Read MoreA Taxing and Spending Matter.
The Public Finance Act is one of those boring statutes which shapes the nation’s wellbeing.
Read MoreHave We Abandoned the Egalitarian Society?
Inequality is not confined to income and wealth; it is in our healthcare and education systems. Is Labour trying to reverse the trend?
Read MoreDo Regions Matter?
If we really are serious about regional wellbeing, we may be pursuing it in the wrong way.
Read MoreAre We Too Slack?
Far too much policy is driven by mañana: when tomorrow comes we panic.
Read MoreKinds of Protests
On Friday March 15, there were two major protests – school students concerned about the future, a terrorist facing toward the past. What are we to think?
Read MoreUp in the Clouds
New calculations suggest that the farm sector is not adding as much to the greenhouse gas clouds as previously thought. But there remains the challenge of global warming which farmers must still take up.
Read MoreWaiting for Brexit
Kevin O’Rourke’s ‘A Short History of Brexit’ provides an excellent introduction to the British muddle, but does not resolve it.
Read MoreTo Tax Capital Gains Or Not to Tax Capital Gains
Taxing the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Read MoreThe Sizzle and the Sausage
Is the public debate underpinned by quality journalism or is it dumbing down?
Read MoreMeditating on Nelson and Population Growth
The city’s motto is 'Palmam qui meruit ferat'. (Let him, who has earned it, bear the palm.) Not sure that reflects a modern New Zealand city. Why does Nelson deserve a palm?
Read MoreIs the Invisible Hand Arthritic?
The report on the failings of the life insurance industry raises the wider issue of how we regulate markets throughout the economy.
Read MoreAnalysing the Internal Politics of Brexit
The theories one uses needs to be explicit, especially when the issue is as complicated as Brexit or Trump.
Read MorePolitical Flapdoodles and Crises.
This column is not about the Government successes nor the Opposition failures. Its purpose is to learn from the various flapdoodles, some of which are significant, some of which are trivial.
Read MoreThe Art of the Deal
What advice does Trump’s book give to the current President of the United Sates?
Read MoreHow Neoliberal is the Government?
The Ardern-Peters Government appears to be comfortable with neoliberalism. Is that because it does not know of any alternative?
Read MoreWhen Will the Next Financial Crisis Happen?
If improved financial regulations wont prevent crashes, what is the point of them?
Read MoreDemocracy is Not Just Voting
The Way the Voting is Organised Matters Too.
Read MoreThe Census Flop
We have known since last May that the March 2018 Population Census is badly flawed. Does it matter? What can be done?
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