Casey Costello provided a welcome change of perspective in her maiden speech. . . . I talk of my tūpuna, and of my whānau not to qualify for some credentials to be recognised as Māori. I know who I am and my strength comes from who has gone before and who are with me now. […]
Casey Costello’s maiden speech
Casey Costello’s maiden speech
15 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in politics - New Zealand Tags: political correctness, racial discrimination, regressive left
Reserve Bank of New Zealand (Economic Objective) Amendment Bill
13 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in business cycles, economic history, history of economic thought, inflation targeting, labour economics, macroeconomics, monetary economics, politics - New Zealand, unemployment Tags: monetary policy
I guess it will be an Act by the end of the day, but for now the short bill giving effect to a return to a single statutory objective for monetary policy is here. Yesterday’s parliamentary debate (first and second reading) is here, here, and here. The heart of the bill is this clause Note […]
Reserve Bank of New Zealand (Economic Objective) Amendment Bill
LINDSAY MITCHELL: Does the Māori Party really speak for all Māori?
12 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: regressive left
Over the past week New Zealand has seen the Māori Party forcefully assert that it is the true and authentic voice of Māori, and other parties equally strongly assert the Māori Party does not own Māori. Neither faction has provided factual evidence for their position although Shane Jones moved in that direction with an off–the-cuff…
LINDSAY MITCHELL: Does the Māori Party really speak for all Māori?
CHRIS TROTTER: Contested ground
12 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, economic history, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: Age of Enlightenment, constitutional law, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
LAST WEEK The Waitangi Tribunal released Tino Rangatiratanga me te Kāwanatanga: The Report on Stage 2 of the Te Paparahi o Te Raki Inquiry (Wai 1040). For the sake of brevity, I shall refer to this spawling document as the Northland Report. Sadly, the Report seems destined to make the already fraught relationship between Māori…
CHRIS TROTTER: Contested ground
Wellington
11 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in politics - New Zealand, urban economics
Yesterday’s Sunday Star-Times had an article built around some comments from me and from Infometrics economist Brad Olsen on the economic prospects of Wellington. The headline captured the gist of my contribution, “Sorry, Wellington, things could get worse and they probably will”. The question the journalist, Kevin Norquay, had posed to me a week ago […]
Wellington
All very small and short ranged
11 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in energy economics, environmental economics, global warming, politics - New Zealand, transport economics
JERRY COYNE: A powerful University dean in New Zealand touts merging higher education with indigenous spirituality
09 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in economics of education, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: Age of Enlightenment, conjecture and refutation philosophy of science, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
Jerry Coyne writes – This article from New Zealand’s Newsroom site was written by Julie Rowland, the deputy dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Auckland as well as a geologist and the Director of the Ngā Ara Whetū | Centre for Climate, Biodiversity & Society. In other word, she’s a scientist. One key to […]
JERRY COYNE: A powerful University dean in New Zealand touts merging higher education with indigenous spirituality
BREAKING: Green Party to Oppress Woman, Gays and Trans
08 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in laws of war, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, war against terror
It’s hard to believe I know, but what other conclusion can be made based on what Green MP (and superstar) Chloe Swarbrick said the other day at the “Pro-Palestine” rally in Auckland: … after what we’ve witnessed, I want to say strongly, clearly and vehemently, the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand stands for a […]
BREAKING: Green Party to Oppress Woman, Gays and Trans
Douglas Murray on the West
07 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
“Today the West faces challenges without and threats within. But no greater threat exists than that which comes from people inside the West intent on pulling apart the fabric of our societies, piece by piece. By assaulting the majority populations in these countries. By saying that our histories are entirely reprehensible and have nothing good […]
Douglas Murray on the West
Really?
06 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in budget deficits, business cycles, economic growth, fiscal policy, inflation targeting, labour economics, macroeconomics, monetary economics, politics - New Zealand, unemployment Tags: monetary policy
It doesn’t seem to have been the best week for the Reserve Bank since the release of the latest Monetary Policy Statement last Wednesday. Of course, one could make a pretty compelling case that in the Orr years few weeks have been, and especially not any weeks when Bank figures actually say or do anything. […]
Really?
MICHAEL BASSETT: MODERN MAORI MYTHS
06 Dec 2023 1 Comment
in discrimination, economic history, economics of education, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: Age of Enlightenment, constitutional law, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
Many of the comments about the Coalition’s determination to wind back the dramatic Maorification of New Zealand of the last three years would have you believe the new government is engaged in a full-scale attack on Maori. In reality, all that is really happening is that ministers are stopping the crusade waged by the Ardern/Hipkins…
MICHAEL BASSETT: MODERN MAORI MYTHS
CLIVE BOONHAM: Should Te Pati Maori MPs be allowed to swear the oath of allegiance?
04 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in politics - New Zealand Tags: constitutional law
This article is a continuation of the article Swearing in of new MPs: The constitution versus the Treaty activists. __________________________ On 1 December 2023 Te Pati Maori published an official press release on its Facebook page entitled An Oath to our Mokopuna. It was published in the name of Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke and five others,…
CLIVE BOONHAM: Should Te Pati Maori MPs be allowed to swear the oath of allegiance?
Chris Trotter in strife?
03 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in defence economics, International law, laws of war, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, war and peace Tags: Age of Enlightenment, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror
Given his (qualified) support for Israel in their cage fight against Hamas I had wondered over the last few weeks if Chris was feeling the pressure from the New Left who hate Israel and have grown to outnumber he and his kind here in New Zealand over the last couple of decades. I noticed that […]
Chris Trotter in strife?
ANANISH CHAUDHURI: Winston Peters has a point about media bias
03 Dec 2023 Leave a comment
in health economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: economics of pandemics
Winston Peters has suggested that mainstream media were “bribed” by the previous Labour government. Members of the media are outraged. Peters, true to form, is being provocative. I don’t think Peters’ strident tone helps. If Peters wants to get through, then a more diplomatic approach may be better. Aggressiveness merely gets people’s backs up and…
ANANISH CHAUDHURI: Winston Peters has a point about media bias
Government net debt: how does NZ compare?
02 Dec 2023 1 Comment
in budget deficits, fiscal policy, macroeconomics, politics - New Zealand
In my post yesterday on the new OECD Economic Outlook fiscal numbers I included this chart Even if you leave off the last two observations (OECD projections based on current – Labour government – fiscal policy) recent trends have hardly been something to take any comfort in. But at least we were still a bit […]
Government net debt: how does NZ compare?
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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