Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine has changed the world. Regardless of how it ends, its consequences will last for decades. Read more
Wellington (Tuesday, 22 March 2022) – New Zealand is already on track to its emissions targets and the government’s new climate change policies will have almost no effect on emissions, says a new report by public policy think tank The New Zealand Initiative. The report, Pretence of Necessity by Senior Economist Matt Burgess, shows that existing policies are enough and further policies are optional but not necessary to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Read more
At May’s Budget, the government will commit $4.5 billion to new spending on climate change, more than $2,000 per household. The government will also deliver its Emissions Reduction Plan, an array of levies, subsidies, regulations and hard bans. Read more
Regulation often does more to help regulated industries than to protect either consumers or the country at large. Rules imposing costs on an entire industry can benefit large players at the expense of smaller businesses or new entrants. Read more
How has Putin’s regime changed over the years? And does the structure of his government explain Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its poor military performance? Read more
There is no excuse for being Russian these days, not even if you are a cat. The Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe) reacted swiftly to Putin’s war against Ukraine. Read more
Carbon prices are the best way of getting us to Net Zero. The Emissions Trading Scheme can get the job done if the government lets it. Read more
Double jeopardy is a defence that prevents a person being tried twice for the same offence. Unfortunately for the Government, the defence is not available for bad public policy decisions. Read more
Eric Crampton talks to Kate Hawkesby on NewstalkZB Early Edition about whether the Government's fuel discount will help those dealing with increases to the cost of living. Read more
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine combined with a global pandemic and a Reserve Bank that has forgotten its core inflation mandate do not make a case for cutting petrol excise and road user charges. And yet, here we are. Read more
The Department for Education in England recently issued guidance to teachers to remind them of legal requirements to be politically impartial when they teach sensitive topics such as the legacy of the British Empire. Commenting on the guidance, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said “contested theories and opinions must not be presented to young people as facts”. Read more
The future is notoriously hard to forecast. Just dial the clock back two years and try finding an expert predicting a year after the start of the pandemic that New Zealand would be suffering labour shortages. Read more
The Government has reduced fuel excise duty and public transport costs to help curb rising living costs. Eric Crampton talks to Wallace Chapman on Radio NZ - The Panel about how effective this will be. Read more
Putin’s war is a tragedy for Ukraine. Yet its economic implications will be felt far beyond Ukraine’s borders for years to come. Read more
From the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans to the masterful wit of Jonathan Swift and Frederic Bastiat, authors have used satire to highlight follies and vices, lampoon political figures, and point out pressing societal issues. Fast forward to our modern age of content warnings, censorship, and accusations of fake news. Read more