The NZ Initiative has a research note out on how fiscal policy needs to work with monetary policy. They comment: This analysis does not dispute that the RBNZ’s high interest rates were the proximate cause of the downturn. However, it argues the Bank had little choice. It was confronted with the insidious threat of inflation […]
Monetary policy needs mates
Monetary policy needs mates
29 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in budget deficits, business cycles, economic growth, fiscal policy, inflation targeting, macroeconomics, monetary economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: monetary policy
The answer is to promote citizenship
29 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in politics - New Zealand Tags: constitutional law
Stuff reports: Senior ministers are emphatically rejecting claims from Māori, including actress Keisha Castle-Hughes, that Māori should be eligible for citizenship to Aotearoa New Zealand. The Waitangi Tribunal held an urgent hearing into the issue of citizenship, with many overseas-born Māori saying it is unfair and unconstitutional that Māori are being denied citizenship to the country […]
The answer is to promote citizenship
Local body ticket drops Jewish candidate due to threats
28 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in discrimination, politics - New Zealand Tags: Israel, political correctness, racial discrimination
Karin Horen is standing for the Takapuna Local Board. As you can see she was on the “A fresh approach” ticket. But they have dropped her suddenly. Why? Because Karin is Jewish. She was born in Israel and like all Israeli citizens served in her youth in the IDF, over 30 years ago. She has […]
Local body ticket drops Jewish candidate due to threats
Colonisation was liberation
25 Sep 2025 1 Comment
in constitutional political economy, development economics, economic history, politics - New Zealand Tags: Age of Discovery, age of empires, economics of colonialism
It is striking how often the loudest voices in New Zealand’s race debate come from those who have the faintest connection to being Māori. The same individuals who enjoy cushy jobs and generous salaries often exploit a sliver of Māori ancestry to advance themselves, however they spend their days decrying colonisation as if it were…
Colonisation was liberation
Article for Central Banking magazine on Orr/Quigley/Willis saga, and lessons
25 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, inflation targeting, macroeconomics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice
A couple of weeks ago the editor of Central Banking magazine (something of an house journal for central bankers, and for whom I’ve done book reviews for some years) invited me to write a fairly full article for a non-NZ audience on the extraordinary events of recent months. Having been so caught up in the […]
Article for Central Banking magazine on Orr/Quigley/Willis saga, and lessons
Pro-worker changes to Holidays Act
23 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in labour economics, labour supply, politics - New Zealand
Labour, Greens and the media would have you believe the changes to Holidays Act are some sort of assault on workers. In fact, they generally improve things for employees. The CTU, to be fair, has been quite balanced with their comments – unlike the hysteria from Labour and Greens. The case for change is massive. […]
Pro-worker changes to Holidays Act
Local government elections 2025 for a libertarian
23 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, environmental economics, environmentalism, law and economics, liberalism, libertarianism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, transport economics, urban economics Tags: housing affordability, land supply, regressive left, zoning
Libertarians don’t like local government much, generally. While some aspire for maximum devolution, similar to Switzerland, so that most government power (outside defence, foreign affairs and border control) is at the more local level, that would require a transformational constitutional change. Switzerland works because its best and brightest get concentrated at the canton level, and…
Local government elections 2025 for a libertarian
Shane Jones is right
22 Sep 2025 1 Comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: crime and punishment, regressive left
Te Pāti Māori and the Greens don’t care about crime in New Zealand
Shane Jones is right
More unsubstantiated assertions of indigenous “science” in New Zealand
19 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of education, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: Age of Enlightenment, conjecture and refutation, free speech, philosophy of science, political correctness, regressive left
Predator Free NZ (“PFZ”, and “NZ” is New Zealand) is apparently a science-oriented trust whose goal—a worthy one—is to keep non-native predators, such as the common brushtail possum, out of New Zealand, as they destroy native wildlife and have other bad effects on the ecosystem. (The possum, for example, destroys native New Zealand birds and…
More unsubstantiated assertions of indigenous “science” in New Zealand
More corporate welfare for airlines
18 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, entrepreneurship, industrial organisation, politics - New Zealand, survivor principle, transport economics
The Government announced: The Coalition Government will support at risk regional air routes with up to $30 million in loans from the Regional Infrastructure Fund for small passenger airlines, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Associate Transport Minister James Meager say. “Reliable air services are critical for the economic and social wellbeing of regional New […]
More corporate welfare for airlines
A blueprint for better Government
17 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice
The NZ Initiative has put out a great report proposing a much more efficient structure for both Cabinet and the wider Executive. NZ currently has 81 ministerial portfolios, 28 ministers and 43 executive agencies. By comparison Ireland has 15 Ministers and 18 departments. The Initiative propose a Cabinet of 15 Ministers, being: Incidentally I proposed […]
A blueprint for better Government
Ferris doubled down on his racism
16 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in discrimination, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: racial discrimination
The Herald reports: Te Pāti Māori MP Tākuta Ferris has doubled down on social media comments he made last week which led to “racist” allegations and an apology from his party. In a new Instagram video, Ferris said it is “unacceptable” for people of other ethnicities to campaign to “take a Māori seat from the […]
Ferris doubled down on his racism
A labour law reform that works for workers
14 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of regulation, labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, personnel economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights Tags: employment law
Roger Partridge writes – Every day, New Zealand workers clock longer hours than their peers in most developed nations yet produce far less value per hour worked. This productivity paradox has haunted our economy for decades, condemning workers to lower wages and longer working days. Now, Parliament has a chance to help change this cycle. […]
A labour law reform that works for workers
Outstanding questions
13 Sep 2025 1 Comment
in economics of bureaucracy, financial economics, inflation targeting, macroeconomics, monetary economics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice
A couple of nights ago, shortly after the Minister and Treasury finally released the suite of texts between Willis and Rennie, ZB featured interviewer Heather du Plessis-Allan talking to Herald journalist Jenee Tibshraeny (who has been over the Orr/Quigley/Willis saga issue from day one). There wasn’t anything concrete that was new in the conversation but […]
Outstanding questions
Why did Te Pati Maori sack their whip?
12 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: Mariameno Kapa-Kingi says Te Pāti Māori’s leadership has removed her from the role of party whip despite her enjoying the work.
Why did Te Pati Maori sack their whip?
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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