Reflections on a report I wrote for the New Zealand Productivity Commission
Read MoreMaking 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 MoreThe faulty logic of Stuart Nash & the Ombudsman's opportunity
When is a cabinet minister not a cabinet minister? The faulty logic of Stuart Nash has landed him and Labour in a heap of trouble but opened the door to serious reform of the Official Information Act
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 MoreSaving Stuart Nash: Explaining Chris Hipkins' unexpected political calculation
Chris Hipkins has shown himself to be a quick fix guy in his time as Prime Minister. So why didn’t he take the path of least resistance and sack Stuart Nash? How does that compare to Rob Campbell? And what does it tell us about this year’s election?
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 MoreMum knows better than Maureen where the winds of climate change are blowing
The terrible damage of Cyclone Gabrielle has the potential to up-end election year just as it has up-ended so many lives. For National it brings danger (enter Maureen Pugh), for the Greens, opportunity
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 MoreOil, Water and Money: The RNZ/TVNZ Merger
The problems inherent in the failed RNZ-TVNZ merger go way back. Bad policy was finished off by bad politics, writes a former Broadcasting Minister
Read MoreHow to read Chipp-ese: Translating Chris Hipkins' first post-cab statement
At Chris Hipkins’ first post-cabinet press conference as PM we got introduced to the new language of Chipp-ese. So reading between the lines, what did his words really mean?
Read MoreAotearoa New Zealand as a "little experiment". The rights, wrongs & other wrongs of Christoper Luxon
Christopher Luxon’s description of New Zealand as “a little experiment” prompts questions about the story tell ourselves about our country… and some other history he needs to factcheck
Read MoreCo-governance
The (new) Prime Minister said nobody understands what co-governance means, later modified to that there were so many varying interpretations that there was no common understanding.
Read MoreChristmas Briefing Papers
What Was the Prime Minister Reading in the Runup to Election Year?
Read MoreIntroducing Chippy, the new bloke
As ‘Chippy’ the new Prime Minister is sworn in today he has the chance to reset his party and its chances at this October’s election. So what arrows does he have in his quiver? Two stand out…
Read MoreBullshit Work
People complain about their jobs being meaningless. Does it matter?
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