The Serious Fraud Office said: The SFO welcomes the Court of Appeal’s decision today which corrected the High Court findings in its New Zealand First Foundation (NZFF) case and reinforced the importance of transparency around political donations in a democratic system. Following the NZFF trial in 2022 the High Court found “if the money is […]
The SFO overcharged
The SFO overcharged
08 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights
CITIZEN SCIENCE: Govt continues to be captured by trans ideology
07 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economics of crime, gender, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: free speech, law and order, political correctness, regressive left, sex discrimination
As the rest of the world wakes up from the trans fever dream, our media and political class continue to trundle along with their fingers in their ears and their eyes firmly shut. Radio New Zealand has avoided the topic for a while, but a couple of weeks ago treated us to a pantomime story…
CITIZEN SCIENCE: Govt continues to be captured by trans ideology
Stopping people dying on the job – Brooke van Velden on workplace safety…
07 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of regulation, health and safety, labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, politics - New Zealand
How NZ and Taiwan differ in disaster preparedness
06 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of natural disasters, politics - New Zealand Tags: Taiwan
Peter Dunne writes – Taiwan and New Zealand are two small island states with much in common. Both are vibrant, independent democracies, living in the shadow of an overbearing neighbour. (Admittedly, Taiwan’s overbearing neighbour has far more aggressive tendencies than our at-times overbearing neighbour!) There is a strong free trade agreement between the two countries […]
How NZ and Taiwan differ in disaster preparedness
Extinction Rebellion Attacks an Electric Vehicle at the New York Auto Show
06 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, energy economics, environmental economics, global warming, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights Tags: climate activists
There is no path to appeasement – nothing is ever green enough for climate fanatics.
Extinction Rebellion Attacks an Electric Vehicle at the New York Auto Show
Coastal court action flies under the radar
05 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in income redistribution, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice Tags: constitutional law, native title
Graham Adams says NZ’s coastline may end up under iwi control. Former Attorney-General and Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Chris Finlayson is known for his forthright and sometimes combative language. In 2022, in discussing opposition to co-governance, he referred to “the sour right” and “the KKK brigade”. Last week, in “Te Ao with Moana” broadcast […]
Coastal court action flies under the radar
Cuba Libre
05 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, development economics, economic history, economics of bureaucracy, economics of crime, growth disasters, history of economic thought, human capital, income redistribution, industrial organisation, labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA, poverty and inequality, Public Choice, public economics, rentseeking Tags: Cuba
Martin Gurri has a very good, deep-dive on the current situation in Cuba. The wreckage of the Cuban economy really can’t be exaggerated. The perpetual blackouts are an apt symbol of a country that is headed for the dark ages. For the first time since the revolution, Cuba is begging the United Nations for food aid. Nearly […]
Cuba Libre
J’Accuse . . . ! : The University of Chicago is not a “free speech university”
04 Apr 2024 1 Comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, economics of education, law and economics, laws of war, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA, war and peace Tags: free speech, Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, political correctness, regressive left, war against terror

This is a story about how the University of Chicago, famed as the #1 Free Speech School of America, is now allowing the suppression of speech, either not punishing those who engage in suppression or giving them ridiculously light punishments. The result is that there is no palpable deterrent to students who want to silence […]
J’Accuse . . . ! : The University of Chicago is not a “free speech university”
The Big Lie Behind DEI
04 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economic history, economics of bureaucracy, gender, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, occupational choice, politics - USA, poverty and inequality, Public Choice Tags: affirmative action, Age of Enlightenment, free speech, political correctness, racial discrimination, regressive left, sex discrimination

Below is an article describing how the woke industry started and expanded by advancing a fundamental lie about human happiness and social fairness. The image above calls attention to the notion that sorts individuals into classes and attributes inequalities in status or prosperity to oppression by others. The lie is that any disappointment or disadvantage […]
The Big Lie Behind DEI
TODD STEPHENSON: FREE SPEECH GOES BOTH WAYS
03 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economics of crime, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights Tags: free speech, political correctness, regressive left
Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark recently found himself in a media furore as he asserted his right to use colourful racial terms. Ratepayers might regret the distraction from local concerns, but part of my job in Parliament is to consider speech issues in a serious way. And I’ve concluded that free speech is indeed under threat…
TODD STEPHENSON: FREE SPEECH GOES BOTH WAYS
TODD STEPHENSON: FREE SPEECH GOES BOTH WAYS
03 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economics of crime, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights Tags: free speech, political correctness, regressive left
Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark recently found himself in a media furore as he asserted his right to use colourful racial terms. Ratepayers might regret the distraction from local concerns, but part of my job in Parliament is to consider speech issues in a serious way. And I’ve concluded that free speech is indeed under threat…
TODD STEPHENSON: FREE SPEECH GOES BOTH WAYS
MICHAEL REDDELL: Not very bothered by deficits
03 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in budget deficits, business cycles, economic history, fiscal policy, macroeconomics, monetary economics, politics - New Zealand

I was away last week so have been rather late in getting to the Budget Policy Statement and associated material released last Wednesday. It does not make for pleasant reading, at least if one cares at all about governments not borrowing to pay for the groceries. Once upon a time – still not that long…
MICHAEL REDDELL: Not very bothered by deficits
Three cheers for the Green Party mayor!
02 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in economic history, economics of regulation, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, urban economics Tags: zoning

Anthony Willy on the SOE case and partnership fiction
01 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, economic history, International law, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, public economics Tags: constitutional law
Former Judge and barrister Anthony Willy has an excellent post on the famous SOE case which is held up to have decided that the Treaty of Waitangi was a partnership. He demolishes this argument by quoting, well the actual judgment. The case was about acting in good faith. Well worth a read.
Anthony Willy on the SOE case and partnership fiction
Spotlight on the Courts
01 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, income redistribution, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, public economics, rentseeking Tags: constitutional law
Muriel Newman writes – “Houston, we have a problem!” New Zealand’s Supreme Court – the highest court in our land – has been captured by activist judges. What is heartening, is the emergence of a wide range of eminent legal voices all openly criticising the Court and calling for this problem to be addressed. But […]
Spotlight on the Courts
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