Michael Johnston writes – The way the government went about rolling back 33 pay equity claims lodged under the last government’s Pay Equity legislation was clumsy at best. The changes were made under urgency and applied retrospectively. It was not a good look. Predictable howls of rage and furious accusations ensued. Critics say the government […]
Govt fiscal constraints are the elephant in the pay equity room
Govt fiscal constraints are the elephant in the pay equity room
11 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, discrimination, fiscal policy, gender, human capital, income redistribution, labour economics, labour supply, occupational choice, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, public economics, rentseeking Tags: gender wage gap, pay equity, sex discrimination
This is a Labour Justice Minister
09 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - New Zealand
Two years after it happened, we finally have a summary of the Police notes about what happened when then Justice Minister Kiri Allan crashed her car under the influence of alcohol. Key aspects are: This is far far worse than what was known at the time. To have Labour’s Justice Minister demand that police make […]
This is a Labour Justice Minister
A story the media ignored
08 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, economics of education, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, rentseeking
David Farrar writes – The Taxpayers’ Union revealed: The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that Te Wharekura o Tauranga Moana is set to take staff to Tahiti this Friday and refuses to answer basic questions to justify the spend.
A story the media ignored
Why do Māori have to rely on deceased kidney donors?
08 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in health economics, politics - New Zealand
Systemic racism or an inconveniently multifaceted set of problems requiring uncomfortable conversations Ani O’Brien writes – It is a fact that the life expectancy of Māori is lower than New Zealanders of European descent. It is also a fact that the life expectancy of New Zealanders of European descent is lower than that of Asian […]
Why do Māori have to rely on deceased kidney donors?
The pro shoplifting party
08 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: crime and punishment, criminal deterrence, law and order, regressive left
Paul Goldsmith released: Green MP Tamatha Paul is giving shoplifting the green light as she opposes the Government’s plan to strengthen penalties, National Party Spokesperson for Justice Paul Goldsmith says. “The Greens are singing from the same old song sheet, making excuses for anyone who attacks or steals from hard working New Zealanders.” Yesterday Ms […]
The pro shoplifting party
Emotions and Policy Views
07 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, behavioural economics, economics of information, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA
I would call this a story of negative emotional contagion: This paper investigates the growing role of emotions in shaping policy views. Analyzing social citizens’ media postings and political party messaging over a large variety of policy issues from 2013 to 2024, we document a sharp rise in negative emotions, particularly anger. Content generating anger […]
Emotions and Policy Views
Echoes of Citizens for Rowling
07 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, economics of regulation, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, transport economics, urban economics Tags: constitutional law
Karl du Fresne writes – Who remembers the Citizens for Rowling campaign? It was a concerted attempt by the Great and the Good to derail National Party leader Robert Muldoon’s election campaign in 1975. The campaign’s backers didn’t like Muldoon’s combative, divisive brand of politics and argued that Labour’s gentlemanly Bill Rowling, who had assumed […]
Echoes of Citizens for Rowling
Meet TPM’s “hero”
06 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
Te Pati Maori co-leader Rawiri Waititi shared a video of Ibrahim Traoré on Instagram and declared him his “hero”. Traoré is the leader of Burkina Faso. Here’s his record: How long will it take for people to wake up to the fact that Te Pati Maori is an extremist anti-democratic party? Surely the co-leader calling […]
Meet TPM’s “hero”
Who relies most heavily on welfare?
06 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in labour economics, labour supply, politics - New Zealand, poverty and inequality, welfare reform Tags: social insurance
This short piece is a partial answer to the question posed. It addresses the ‘who’ but not the ‘why’.The following chart uses Census data from Statistics NZ and benefit data from MSD. Both sets are from March 2023.At that time there were 345,417 individuals reliant on a main benefit which primarily comprised Jobseeker (formerly Unemployment…
Who relies most heavily on welfare?
Ouch
06 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in health economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: economics of pandemics
Sir Ian Taylor starts his open letter to Jacinda Ardern with praise for the initial Covid response but then he gets critical: . . . People put politics aside and tried to help. Offering real solutions, safe, proven ways to save both lives and livelihoods. Business-led initiatives, technology-enabled tracking, controlled pilot programs. These were not […]
Ouch
Is shoplifting ever okay?
04 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: crime and punishment, criminal deterrence, law and order
What happened to law makers being on the side of the law? A Green Party MP thinks it’s okay to shoplift: Green MP Tamatha Paul is giving shoplifting the green light as she opposes the Government’s plan to strengthen penalties, National Party Spokesperson for Justice Paul Goldsmith says. “The Greens are singing from the same […]
Is shoplifting ever okay?
A interview with a “heterodox” New Zealand scientist: “Why Mātauranga Māori Isn’t Science:”
02 Jul 2025 1 Comment
in economic history, economics of education, environmentalism, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, Rawls and Nozick Tags: Age of Enlightenment, conjecture and refutation, cranks, philosophy of science, political correctness, regressive left
I’ve written a lot about the controversy in New Zealand involving whether the indigenous “way of knowing,” Mātauranga Māori (MM), is equivalent to modern science (often called “Western science”) and, as many maintain, should be taught alongside modern in science classes (see all my posts here). As I’ve noted, because MM does have elements of […]
A interview with a “heterodox” New Zealand scientist: “Why Mātauranga Māori Isn’t Science:”
Is ‘by Maori for Maori’ shifting the dial?
21 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economics of bureaucracy, health economics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice Tags: racial discrimination
On June 18, 2025, Health New Zealand published extensive data (March 2025 quarter) in a two-page spread contained in The Post. I assume this was replicated in other New Zealand newspapers. Included were childhood immunisation rates. At the bottom of the table for full immunisation at 24 months are Northland and Tairawhiti districts (improving trend) followed…
Is ‘by Maori for Maori’ shifting the dial?
A new ferry that didn’t cost us a cent
20 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, transport economics
Stuff reports: There has been a lot written about Cook Strait ferries lately but far off in the distance, a new ship that will sail between the North and South Islands is slowly making its way here. Called Livia, the ship has had a fresh coat of paint to transform it from the Stena Line colours into […]
A new ferry that didn’t cost us a cent
A clear line
19 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice Tags: constitutional law
The Herald reports: Ngāti Hine leader Pita Tipene is ruling out a settlement under this Government after remarks made by Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. Goldsmith said on Tuesday the Government would not agree to Treaty settlements that disputed whether the Crown is now sovereign. Under the previous Labour Government, an initial deed of settlement […]
A clear line
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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