How far has the government’s Three Waters policy retreated?
Read MoreWatering Down Three Waters?
Economy
Making the New Zealand Economy More Resilient to Shocks
The Fashion for Generic Management is Not Working.
The public service is suffering from the downgrading of the role of professionals, experts and those at the workface with the public.
Read MoreWhy Are We Making So Little Progress Towards Reducing Child Poverty?
There was great disappointment following the just released poverty figures for the year ended to June 2022. Whatever your take, we are not facing up to the real child poverty problems.
Read MoreHigh Performance Instability in the Financial Sector
Evaluating the recent crashes of Silicon Valley Bank in the US and Credit Suisse in Switzerland plus two other banks (perhaps more by the time you read this) needs to begin with a review of the inevitable instability in the financial sector.
Read MoreRadical Uncertainty
Two senior economists challenge some of the foundations of current economics.
Read MoreGabrielle’s Trumpet Challenges Fiscal Stability
Cyclonic Storms Raise Economic Questions.
Read MoreCensus 2023
Why I Take the Population Census Seriously
Read MoreMinsky and the Housing Market
Speculative bubbles have occurred in the New Zealand housing market
Read MoreSo What is Special About Housing?
This column is adapted from a paper I gave to Southland U3A on Friday, February 17. Later I shall post a column which will analyse housing bubbles.
Read MoreWhat is Happening on the Inflationary Front?
Keynes warned us that practical men and women are but slaves of defunct economists. The comment is particularly relevant as we try to understand the prospects for inflation.
Read MoreChristmas Briefing Papers
What Was the Prime Minister Reading in the Runup to Election Year?
Read MoreBullshit Work
People complain about their jobs being meaningless. Does it matter?
Read MoreThe Economy in 2023?
The figure is from the Treasury forecasts. It shows the May (Budget) and December (Half Year) tracks of GDP.
The two most comprehensive forecasts of the New Zealand economy are by the Reserve Bank and the Treasury. They are especially important because they inform monetary and fiscal policy. What do they say?
Read MoreWhere Does Modern Monetary Theory Fit Into Macroeconomics?
Is it a new way of thinking about the economy or an old way, that was problematic in the past, dressed up to appear novel?
Read MoreShould We Nationalise the Electricity Industry?
More competition is often proposed as a means of moderating monopolies and oligopolies. It may be better to reduce competition for the electricity industry meeting our climate change needs.
Read MoreThe Coming Recession?
Is leaving inflation fighting to the Reserve Bank all we can do?
Read MoreThe Crypto Casino
Financial activity is too often gambling. Cryptocurrencies are the latest example
Read MoreAre We in a Stagflation?
Recently, I have often been asked whether we (New Zealand or the World) are experiencing a stagflation. There is no meaningful ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. You have to define the term before deciding what is going on.
Read MoreThe End of Neoliberalism?
Gary Gerstle’s The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order: America and the World in the Free Market Era is a frustrating book. It is an impressive sweeping history of American politics and economic policy from the New Deal in the 1930s to today, predicting that we are coming to the end of the ‘neoliberal’ era. However, Gerstle never defines what he means by ‘neoliberal’ other than with examples through the narrative, so it is difficult to be able to identify what is coming to an end and when.
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