A letter signed by more than 170 legal “experts” has been circulated around the media in the last few days and quoted extensively. Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate the letter in its entirety but have gathered some quotes. The letter claims to fact check Hobson’s Pledge’s ad which was published on…
DON BRASH: WHO IS MISLEADING THE PUBLIC?
DON BRASH: WHO IS MISLEADING THE PUBLIC?
16 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in income redistribution, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking, resource economics Tags: constitutional law, native title
School speech censorship
14 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of education, law and economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
Stuff reports: A speech which ordinarily would have failed to raise attention outside the walls of New Plymouth Boys’ High School has grabbed national attention after a student was banned from delivering it. Oliver Jull’s speech – The Decline of Western Civilization – was scratched from the school’s speech finals last week out of concerns […]
School speech censorship
Finally sanity on GE
13 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of regulation, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming, politics - New Zealand Tags: anti-GMOs movement, Anti-Science left, regressive left
Judith Collins announced: The Government is ending New Zealand’s nearly 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab in a move which will bring health, productivity and climate gains for New Zealanders. Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced legislation ending the ban and implementing a dedicated regulator to oversee applications to use […]
Finally sanity on GE
NZ now has an asylum problem
12 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in Economics of international refugee law, labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: economics of immigration
Stuff reports: The number of people claiming refugee status in New Zealand has exploded in the past two years, statistics released by Immigration New Zealandshow. In the 11 months to 31 May 2024, a total of 2220 people claimed refugee status in New Zealand. Half of these asylum seekers – 1108 people – were from a […]
NZ now has an asylum problem
Why I have resigned from the Research Association of New Zealand
10 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of information, economics of media and culture, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: free speech, political correctness, regressive left
I (and Curia) have just resigned as members of the Research Association of New Zealand. It is something I never thought I would do, and do with great sadness. I have been an enthusiastic member of the industry body. I joined in 2004 when I formed Curia Market Research. It was an honour to be […]
Why I have resigned from the Research Association of New Zealand
Gary Moller on Wellington cycleways
10 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, public economics, rentseeking, transport economics, urban economics
Garry Moller writes: If I had it my way, I would scrap many of Wellington’s cycleways, and do it better. Allow me to elaborate. … For Wellington to thrive, ample on-street parking is essential. Despite the influx of more public service employees and contractors in recent years, central Wellington is struggling. Many long-term Wellington residents, […]
Gary Moller on Wellington cycleways
Roots of Climate Change Distortions
08 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, economics of bureaucracy, economics of education, economics of information, economics of media and culture, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA, population economics, Public Choice Tags: climate alarmism
Roger Pielke Jr. explains at his blog Why Climate Misinformation Persists. Excerpts in italics with my bolds and added images. H/T John Ray Noble Lies, Conventional Wisdom, and Luxury Beliefs In 2001, I participated in a roundtable discussion hosted at the headquarters of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) with a group of U.S. Senators, […]
Roots of Climate Change Distortions
Police use National’s 2005 billboard slogan as an example of hate speech!
07 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, liberalism, politics - New Zealand, property rights Tags: free speech, political correctness, regressive left
Stuff reports: A transphobic post on social media, racist taunts, and a slogan from New Zealand’s largest neo-Nazi group are among a number of scenarios in police’s hate crime training. … Some examples of hate speech used as part of the training include racist remarks, a transphobic post on social media as well as a […]
Police use National’s 2005 billboard slogan as an example of hate speech!
Fed Farmers on the cost of the mana of water
07 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in environmental economics, politics - New Zealand
Federated Farmers states: This week, Federated Farmers have written to Otago councils calling for urgent transparency on new policy aiming to protect the mana of water, known as Te Mana o Te Wai. You may have seen this in the media, as it’s been picked up far and wide. Councils were required to give effect […]
Fed Farmers on the cost of the mana of water
Did a Christchurch Environment Judge called Prudence just end NZ’s Dreams of higher tech-based productivity growth that would’ve fixed our health system & ended poverty?
06 Aug 2024 1 Comment
in economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, environmentalism, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, public economics, urban economics
New Zealand citizen, Peter Thiel, who is one of the world’s richest men, and business associate of Elon Musk, has had his house application in Wanaka rejected on appeal by the Environment Court. Theil was the first investor in Shane Legg’s company, Deep Mind, which started the Artificial Intelligence revolution. Legg is a former student…
Did a Christchurch Environment Judge called Prudence just end NZ’s Dreams of higher tech-based productivity growth that would’ve fixed our health system & ended poverty?
DON BRASH: John Key’s Call for “Caution” in Race Relations
06 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in discrimination, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights Tags: constitutional law
He doesn’t want to have difficult conversations. Former National Party leader Sir John Key has urged people to “take the temperature down a wee bit” in the debate surrounding race issues. He believes this is an area where any government needs to “tread carefully.” He also mentioned recent issues such as ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill, the…
DON BRASH: John Key’s Call for “Caution” in Race Relations
Pervasive myth of centralisation unravels in NZ
06 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, economics of bureaucracy, economics of education, health economics, industrial organisation, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, public economics, survivor principle
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealand’s government sacked the entire board of Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora) last week, replacing it with a sole commissioner. The move marked more than just another shake-up in the country’s beleaguered health system. It signalled the spectacular failure of a grand experiment that has turned New Zealand into […]
Pervasive myth of centralisation unravels in NZ
The Chameleon Party
05 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in politics - New Zealand Tags: constitutional law
Oliver Hartwich writes – As Marx once said, “Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them… well, I have others.” Of course, this quote was from Groucho, not Karl. However, Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick’s interest in utilising the waka-jumping law against former colleague Darleen Tana certainly has something Marxist about it.
The Chameleon Party
Restoring the Standing and Reputation of Science in New Zealand: a Letter to the Coalition Government
04 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of education, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: conjecture and refutation, philosophy of science
from David Lillis, John Raine, Peter Schwerdtfeger, Rex Ahdar, Cathy Downes The recent news that GeoNet has been merging science with the myth, mysticism and legend of Māori traditional knowledge in their 2024 Geohazard Information has provoked a scathing response from international commentator, Professor Jerry Coyne (University of Chicago). This follows close behind publicity around…
Restoring the Standing and Reputation of Science in New Zealand: a Letter to the Coalition Government
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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