Chris Trotter writes – “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune”. Those words, taken from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, are often quoted in the context of politicians facing the hard choice between doing it now, or not doing it at all.
If the election was scheduled for next week, Hipkins could win – but (luckily for Luxon) it’s next year
If the election was scheduled for next week, Hipkins could win – but (luckily for Luxon) it’s next year
26 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
in economic growth, inflation targeting, macroeconomics, monetary economics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice Tags: 2026 general election
Some Links
25 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, international economics, politics - New Zealand
TweetJeff Jacoby eloquently argues that “the convictions that count are the ones that sometimes sting.” A slice: What makes this problem worse is the increasingly common belief that only those who agree with us are legitimate participants in American life. Too many on the right write off their opponents as anti-American, while too many on…
Some Links
Ten questions we would have asked of Ardern, Hipkins, Robertson and Verrall
25 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, health economics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice Tags: economics of pandemics
Ananish Chaudhuri and John Gibson write – It is a pity that the Ministers who were central to formulating our Covid response have refused to show up to public hearings. We understand that in the past, private interviews of Ministers may have been the norm. But according to this same group, Covid was a once […]
Ten questions we would have asked of Ardern, Hipkins, Robertson and Verrall
Reading Grant Robertson
25 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
in budget deficits, business cycles, economic growth, economic history, economics of bureaucracy, fiscal policy, inflation targeting, macroeconomics, monetary economics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice Tags: economics of pandemics, monetary policy
I got home from Papua New Guinea at 1:30 on Saturday morning and by 3:30 yesterday afternoon I’d finished Grant Robertson’s new book, Anything Could Happen, and in between I’d been to two film festival movies, a 60th birthday party, and church. It is that sort of book, a pretty easy read. In some respects, […]
Reading Grant Robertson
“Adaptive” Learning: Study Shows Almost 90% Adopt More Liberal Views to Satisfy Professors
24 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of education, Marxist economics, politics - USA
In my book, “The Indispensable Right,” I write about the intolerance for viewpoint diversity in higher education and the atmosphere of orthodoxy created by overwhelmingly liberal faculties. We have also discussed consistent studies showing that students no longer feel free to express their viewpoints in class or on campuses. A new study offers additional data on […]
“Adaptive” Learning: Study Shows Almost 90% Adopt More Liberal Views to Satisfy Professors
The very dodgy $12.9b figure
24 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, rentseeking
I blogged in early August on how MPs appear to have been scared into supporting a retrospective law change to protect ANZ and ASB Banks form a six year old law suit over their failure to make correct disclosures with some of their loans, on the basis that the banking system could be at risk […]
The very dodgy $12.9b figure
More On Alleged Chinese Dumping
24 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, development economics, economic history, entrepreneurship, growth miracles, history of economic thought, industrial organisation, international economics, politics - USA, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: free trade, tariffs
TweetHere’s a second note to a commenter at my Facebook page. Mr. Schlomach: Commenting on my Facebook page, you allege that China ‘dumps’ goods in the U.S. and, in doing so, “has used our love of cheap stuff to suck our country of strategically critical technology/industry.” By suggesting that your fellow Americans buy stuff simply…
More On Alleged Chinese Dumping
Diplomacy and political patronage
24 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
Peter Dunne writes – It is difficult not to see Sir Trevor Mallard’s sacking as New Zealand’s Ambassador to Ireland as anything other than an act of political vengeance by Foreign Minister Winston Peters. After all, there has been considerable antagonistic history between the pair, culminating in then-Speaker Mallard’s trespassing of Peters during the 2022 […]
Diplomacy and political patronage
It’s all about Chloe
23 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
in Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: regressive left
Audrey Young observes: Chlöe Swarbrick became a distraction from the debate on Palestine during a crucial week in which Israel stepped up bombardments of Gaza City and New Zealand began debating a huge issue. But outrageously, she made it about whether being asked twice to apologise was unprecedented. It wouldn’t be so ironic if she […]
It’s all about Chloe
An attempt to lower NZ electricity prices could end up doing the opposite – here’s why
23 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
in energy economics, industrial organisation, politics - New Zealand Tags: competition law
Richard Meade writes – In its quest to lower electricity prices for New Zealand households, the Electricity Authority may inadvertently make the situation worse. This week, the authority announced plans to require New Zealand’s “gentailers” – firms that both generate electricity and retail it to consumers – to offer the same supply terms to independent retailers as […]
An attempt to lower NZ electricity prices could end up doing the opposite – here’s why
Banning racing
22 Aug 2025 1 Comment
in economics of regulation, politics - New Zealand, sports economics
New Zealand will be banning greyhound racing. The Bill to formally end greyhound racing will be introduced to Parliament later this year. The public will be able to make submissions to the select committee as part of the process.“It is important people get the opportunity to have their say. The decision to end greyhound racing was…
Banning racing
Bill Maher: Latest “new rule” on timorous Democrats
21 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
in politics - USA, television, TV shows
I guess Bill Maher is back with his “Real Time” show, and in the latest bit he’s going to anger a lot of “progressives”. Why? Because he’s taking out after Democrats—in particular, the cowardice of Democrats. (Even liberal Democrats haven’t forgiven Maher for saying that he had a cordial dinner with Trump—despite Maher’s having called […]
Bill Maher: Latest “new rule” on timorous Democrats
Why I disagree with Helen Clark
20 Aug 2025 1 Comment
in economics of education, labour economics, labour supply, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, poverty and inequality, Public Choice, welfare reform Tags: child poverty, family poverty
According to the NZ Herald this morning: “Former Prime Minister Helen Clark has described the departure of former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern from politics as “devastating for women around the world”.” Not this one. But then very little devastates me beyond the loss of a loved person or pet. Or dwelling on the suffering of…
Why I disagree with Helen Clark
The Greens’ weekend gift to the government
19 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
in economic growth, entrepreneurship, fiscal policy, income redistribution, labour economics, labour supply, macroeconomics, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, poverty and inequality, Public Choice, public economics Tags: taxation and entrepreneurship, wealth tax
Roger Partridge writes – The Greens’ coronation of Chlöe Swarbrick at last weekend’s AGM delivered a manifesto for economic transformation that would make Soviet economists nostalgic for their glory days.
The Greens’ weekend gift to the government
How unproportional might the next Parliament be?
19 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
MMP is meant to deliver a proportional Parliament. That is how it is designed, and how it was sold. There is one aspect to it though that can make Parliaments unproportional. It is overhang seats – when a party wins more electorates than their share of the party vote would entitle them to. We have […]
How unproportional might the next Parliament be?
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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