Celebrating humanity's flourishing through the spread of capitalism and the rule of law
06 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of bureaucracy, financial economics, industrial organisation, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, survivor principle
Bronwyn Howell writes: KiwiRail is a state-owned enterprise, and so by law its principal objective is “to operate as a successful business”.1 Success in the business world means that you provide something that your customers are willing to pay for, at a price for that exceeds your cost of production, leaving something to reward your owners/investors…
The Kiwirail black hole
06 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in health economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: economics of pandemics
The Australian Commonwealth Government COVID-19 Response Inquiry slammed that country’s late “stroll-out” of the vaccine. It meant politicians viewed lock-downs as their only tool of control. According to the Sydney Morning Herald some of “the Inquiry’s most specific criticism was around the delayed vaccine rollout ahead of the Omicron variant which swept through country at…
Royal Covid Commission report says “NZ’s vaccination rollout was slightly slower to get started than in some other countries”. And Pigs Fly.
06 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in health economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: nanny state
Stuff reports: Moral and health-related objections to fast food should not be considered in a hearing for a proposed Wānaka McDonald’s, the company claims. Neither was the perception of McDonald’s as a large corporate that should not be allowed to exist, legal representative Jeremy Brabant said at the resource consent hearing which opened on Monday.…
Snobbery
05 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economics of crime, gender, law and economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: crime and punishment, criminal deterrence, law and order
The Spinoff has an article by Zeni Gibson which details eight years of harassment by a man called Greg. Her suffering has been appalling, and hey tormenter has made a mockery of the law that should be protecting her. I can’t even summarise all the multiple failings, but it sadly doesn’t surprise me. There have…
Are protection orders worth anything?
05 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, health economics, industrial organisation, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: nanny state, zoning
If you thought McDonald’s was some kind of public health hazard, using processes under the Resource Management Act to try to block one from opening in Wanaka would be among the stupidest possible ways of dealing with it. The country already has food safety regulations. If you thought that (in fact delicious and fine) McDonald’s food…
Misuse of land use planning
04 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of regulation, health economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: economics of pandemics
Bryce Edwards writes – Any criticism of New Zealand’s Covid response needs to begin by acknowledging its success. Our total confirmed deaths per million people is far lower than those of many peer nations. But we’re still living with the cost of that response: reduced trust in institutions and deeper social division; years of […]
Will politicians learn anything from the first Covid Response report?
03 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, health economics, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking, urban economics Tags: land supply, nanny state, zoning
Is there any better – or should that be worse? – example of how the consenting process sabotages productivity than the current hearings on McDonalds’ application to open in Wanaka? Public submissions were sought, and of the 366 made, 339 were opposed, 21 in support and six wanted changes to the plan. Among the submissions […]
Sabotaging productivity
03 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of regulation, health economics, labour economics, labour supply, politics - New Zealand Tags: economics of pandemics
The Royal Commission concluded: The case for vaccine requirements of all kinds weakened in early 2022 with the arrival of the Omicron variant since vaccination was now much less effective in preventing COVID-19 transmission and immunity waned over time. While beneficial to the individual concerned, vaccination now offered less protection to others and the public […]
The Government didn’t move with the science around Covid
03 Dec 2024 1 Comment
in economic history, law and economics, liberalism, politics - New Zealand Tags: constitutional law, racial discrimination
After the mass Maori Party madness over David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill comes more extreme Maori make-believe. Some are now calling the 83% of New Zealanders who aren’t Maori, “guests” or “visitors” to the country where they are citizens. Many of long standing. According to some radicals, the 83% are “manuhiri”, a word traditionally used…
MICHAEL BASSETT: MAORI PARTY MADNESS
02 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, energy economics, entrepreneurship, environmental economics, financial economics, global warming, income redistribution, industrial organisation, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, rentseeking, survivor principle Tags: climate alarmism
The Herald reported: The Government has $115 million at risk from the collapse of SolarZero. Finance Minister Nicola Willis said she was seeking urgent advice on the SolarZero situation. She had no further comment. NZ Green Investment Finance – a “green investment bank” created by the previous Government to fund environmentally-friendly businesses – made a $145m…
Another corporate welfare failure
02 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in politics - New Zealand Tags: economics of immigration, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
As I have said before I am no fan of Candace Owens. I think she is a grifter who peddles conspiracy theories and has promoted many deeply anti-semitic things. But if enough New Zealanders wish to pay money to hear from her, they should be able to do so. The decision by Immigration NZ prevents […]
Banning Candace Owens from NZ a terrible decision
01 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in health economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: regressive left
The Ministry of Health announced: The Ministry of Health is today releasing an evidence brief and position statement on the use of puberty blockers for gender identity issues and outlining a more cautious approach to their use. The evidence brief shows a lack of good quality evidence to back the effectiveness and safety of puberty […]
A sensible move by Ministry of Health
01 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, health and safety, labour economics, labour supply, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice Tags: nanny state, road safety
NewstalkZB report: Santa and his elves must wear seatbelts for Christchurch’s Christmas parade following new health and safety advice – a move labelled by some city councillors as “woke nonsense” and “over the top”. Christchurch’s Christmas Show Parade director Jason Reekers said an audit of the parade’s floats recommended installing seatbelts on some of them. …
Seatbelts for a 5 km/hr Santa parade
01 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of regulation, health economics, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights Tags: nanny state, regressive left
It is no surprise that the Government is reducing the number of public health staff members, when they are spending their time on opposing resource consent applications for a McDonalds in Wanaka, rather than oh preventing the current whooping cough epidemic. Around half the public health staff (those who deal with infectious diseases) do amazing […]
Appalling behaviour by Public Health Te Waipounamu
30 Nov 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, budget deficits, business cycles, economic growth, fiscal policy, labour economics, liberalism, macroeconomics, Marxist economics, monetary economics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, public economics, unemployment Tags: monetary policy
A group of economists have written to Nicola Willis complaining about the modest fiscal restraint imposed on the public sector. Grant Robertson grew government expenditure by $76 billion/year or a massive 7.6% of GDP, leaving NZ with a structural deficit. Many were champions of his policies or worked for him, and now they complain his […]
Usual suspects want more debt
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