Interpreting the agreement made at Waitangi as a social contract is a way to move forward on treaty issues.
Read MoreTe Tiriti as a Social Contract
Let's put down our chisels and let te Tiriti o Waitangi evolve
The debate this Waitangi Day is urging us to certainty and resolution, but we should resist the temptation. History cannot be carved in stone and those trying risk dividing the country
Read MoreOur Understandings of Te Tiriti Has Evolved Organically.
Why try to stop that evolution?
Read MoreDavid Seymour promise of grand designs reveals tension at the heart of government
ACT leader David Seymour spoke of generational change in his state of the nation speech. Yet this government is built more for tweaking than transformation, so what’s a determined change-maker to do?
Read MoreThere is A Lot to Be Learned from the Award Winning Film Oppenheimer
And even more from the book it is based upon: “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.
Read MoreThe Prime Minister’s Biggest Challenge
Luxon has to address the need to maintain and enhance New Zealand’s social cohesion.
Read MoreThe State of the Economy: January 2024
The New Zealand economy is struggling; the new government will struggle to implement its economic promises.
Read MoreA Revolutionary Economist
Robert Solow transformed the way we think about economic growth.
Read MoreNational-led government's 'back on track' promise somewhere down the track
As politicans break for the year, the clock is still ticking on the government’s 100 Day Plan. So what’s it delivered so far? And what’s it taught us about the new coalition?
Read MoreWas the 2023 Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update Misleading?
The new Minister of Finance implied that Treasury’s ‘books’ were deceptive. Can’t see it myself.
Read MoreWhat is the Purpose of an Economy?
In his Economists in the Cold War, Alan Bollard contrasts Saburo Okita of Japan with Zhou En Lai of China to highlight a critical issue.
Read MoreHow Should We Organise a Modern Economy?
Alan Bollard, formerly Treasury Secretary, Reserve Bank Governor and Chairman of APEC, has written an insightful book exploring command vs demand approaches to the economy.
Read MoreForward to 2017
The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies.
Read MorePeters as Minister
A previous column looked at Winston Peters biographically. This one takes a closer look at his record as a minister, especially his policy record.
Read MoreUnderstanding Winston
The picture the commentariat presents of Winston Peters is a misleading caricature. If we don’t try to understand the complexity of the man, we cannot understand what is going on in New Zealand politics.
Read MoreThe Bottom of Policy Development
Did you think the incoming government promised to extend bowel screening to 50-59 year olds? The promise was more limited – and more feasible.
Read MoreDoes the Inflation Target Have to Shift?
here is a view that the world economy is entering a period of higher inflation and higher nominal interest rates, but who knows? Presumably New Zealand has to follow.
Read MoreHow Much Influence Do Governments Have?
The more informed an economist is, the more they keep their head down during elections.
Read MoreHumanity lost amidst the violence in Israel and Gaza
The Israel-Hamas war asks us to balance atrocities, trade off kidnapped grandmothers with bombed babies. It’s a fool’s errand. We need to remember the humanity of our enemies
Read MoreClaudia Goldin wins the 2023 Nobel Economics Laureateship
She may have progressed our understanding of women in the economy but that has not resolved all the issues.
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