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The electorate swing, Labour limbo and Luxon-Hipkins two-step

by Tim Watkin September 22, 2023
The electorate swing, Labour limbo and Luxon-Hipkins two-step

Chris Hipkins needs a new song and dance routine and fast, or he could be doing the limbo and losing the next generation of Labour's leaders

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Tags: leaders debate, opinion polls, Election 2023, Ohariu, Wellington Central, Labour list
2 Comments

What is PREFU 2023 really telling us?

by Brian Easton September 15, 2023
What is PREFU 2023 really telling us?

Despite the headlines, things are not much worse than at the time of the 2023 budget, but fiscal management is always difficult.

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Tags: NZ Economy, PREFU 2023, BEFU 023, Treasury forecasts
1 Comment

National, ACT & NZ First: Delivering the sun or just beach cricket?

by Tim Watkin September 15, 2023
National, ACT & NZ First: Delivering the sun or just beach cricket?

Multiple polls point to a change of government. Is National passing the sniff test? Do voters really want ACT's 'real change' or a handbrake? The Caucus podcast ask what a centre-right government might look like

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Tags: National Party, ACT, opinion polls, coalition government, Christopher Luxon, Constitution
Comment

Ignoring Tax Tradeoffs

by Brian Easton September 08, 2023
Ignoring Tax Tradeoffs

Public policy frequently suffers because we don’t look at alternatives.

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Tags: taxation, GST on fruit and vegetables
1 Comment

Chinese Property Market and New Zealand’s Future

by Brian Easton September 01, 2023
Chinese Property Market and New Zealand’s Future

Evergrande and Country Garden – two giant Chinese property development companies – are a portent of the turbulence before us.

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Tags: Chinese economy, Chinese property market, Evergrande, Country Garden, Shadow banking, Export diversification
1 Comment

Bullying Politicians

by Brian Easton August 25, 2023
Bullying Politicians

Banning mobile phones in schools points to wider issues.

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Tags: Centralisation, Mobile pones, schools, subsidiarity
3 Comments

Credit Ratings and International Financial Standing

by Brian Easton August 18, 2023
Credit Ratings and International Financial Standing

The recent reduction in the US credit rating signals that market lenders are not happy with the US fiscal arrangements. New Zealand’s lower rating is a warning that we could do better too.

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Tags: Credit Rating Agencies, Fitch, US Financial System
2 Comments

There Are Wider Lessons to be Learned From the Failures in the Management of the Health System

by Brian Easton August 11, 2023
There Are Wider Lessons to be Learned From the Failures in the Management of the Health System

It is the professionalism – competence and integrity – of the doctors, nurses and technicians who provide the care which obscures the managerial failure.

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Tags: health system, generic management, Canterbury DHB, Ian Powell, Otaihanga Second Opinion
2 Comments

Thinking Slow Or Thinking Fast?

by Brian Easton August 04, 2023
Thinking Slow Or Thinking Fast?

It is too easy to react to a problem rather than to tackle it thoughtfully.

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Tags: Thinking Fast Thinking Slow, Policy Reactions, Time-inconsistent decision-making, crime, electricity, planning
3 Comments

Governing a Region Far Far Away.

by Brian Easton July 28, 2023

The Chatham Islands flag waves above the New Zealand one. Perhaps the Chathams offer insights on to how to govern New Zealand better.

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Tags: Chatham Islands, Hugh Rennie, Regional Development, Chathams Resurgent
1 Comment

Taxing Issues

by Brian Easton July 21, 2023
Taxing Issues

A canter through some of the issues facing tax policies.

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Tags: Purpose of taxes, capital gains tax, wealth tax, inheritance taxes, taxing trusts, land tax, taxes on non-residents, tax rates, indirect taxes, user-group pays taxes, financial transaction tax, Working For Families, Tax fairness
2 Comments

Do We Want a Regulatory Standards Act?

by Brian Easton July 13, 2023
Do We Want a Regulatory Standards Act?

Its principles may involve outcomes which are not in the public interest.

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Tags: Regulations, Statutes, Regulatory Standards Act, Telecom
2 Comments

Is a Recession the Worst of Our Worries?

by Brian Easton June 30, 2023
Is a Recession the Worst of Our Worries?

Are we evaluating the economy on the right criteria? Perhaps we should be paying more attention to rising overseas debt.

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Tags: Recession, Overseas Debt, Net International Investment Position
1 Comment

The GDP Fetish

by Brian Easton June 23, 2023
The GDP Fetish

We have it around the wrong way. The issue is not what the arts contribute to market output. It is what market output contributes to the arts – and a lot more besides.

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Tags: GDP fetish, Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Universities, contribution to economy
1 Comment

Are We Sure That We Have a Well-Functioning System of Government?

by Brian Easton June 16, 2023
Are We Sure That We Have a Well-Functioning System of Government?

Why doesn’t our government reflect New Zealanders; why doesn’t Parliament make them?

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Tags: Parliament, grad coalitions, MMP, WTA, select committees
1 Comment

Accountability and Archives New Zealand

by Brian Easton June 09, 2023
Accountability and Archives New Zealand

Was another IT debacle inevitable given the management arrangements?

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Tags: Archives New Zealand, Accountability, generic management, professionals, Consultancy
4 Comments

What Do Economists Do?

by Brian Easton June 02, 2023
What Do Economists Do?

Steven Levitt, famous for his Freakanomics, shows that being an economist is not just mouthing supply and demand.

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Tags: Steven Levett, Freakanomics, economics profession, abortion, crime, race
Comment

The Economic Runup to the Election.

by Brian Easton May 26, 2023
The Economic Runup to the Election.

The Treasury released its budget economic forecasts. What do they say about the economy over the next four months?

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Tags: Economic forecasts, Election 2023, BEFU, Treasury
Comment

Crises!

by Brian Easton May 19, 2023
Crises!

A conversation discussion between a minister and advisor.

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Tags: economic crises, ministerial advice
2 Comments

The power of... nothing. Robertson

by Tim Watkin May 19, 2023
The power of...  nothing. Robertson

Grant Robertson hopes the promise of no recession and falling inflation is what voters really, really want to hear right now, more than grandiose new policies. But he’s keeps headroom for election promises

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Tags: Budget 2023, Grant Robertson, Infrastructure, early childhood education
Comment
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