Senior Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative, Dr Bryce Wilkinson discusses bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong, noting some interesting points about risk and wages. Read more
In the cut and thrust of politics it was no surprise that Environment Minister Nick Smith denounced the Labour Party’s new housing policy. After all, while it is the opposition’s job to oppose government policies, it is just as much the incumbent’s job to shoot down ideas coming from across the house. Read more
The late Ronald Reagan mastered the art of condensing complex issues into witty statements: “Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. Read more
We do not yet know how the courts will rule on whether Wellington City Council can force its contractors to pay their employees a minimum of $18.55 an hour. But I think we can come to a verdict on the policy's economic merits, and I do not think council would much like it. Read more
What do societies gain from migration? What are the social, political and cultural effects of an increasingly mobile global workforce? Read more
Strolling the markets of Hong Kong, I came across a stall dedicated to selling t-shirts bearing the slogan: “same same but different”. The stall’s popularity is just another one of the wonderful quirks of Hong Kong. Read more
Governments do not care about the people more than the people care about themselves. People suffering under communism learnt this the hard way. Read more
The Paris terror attacks are not just a terrible tragedy for those killed or injured and their families. Last weekend’s events have severe political, strategic and economic implications, which could haunt France and the entire EU for years to come. Read more
Research Fellow Jason Krupp's seventh travel diary from his 2015 research trip. Here he provides an update on his localism research from Montreal, Canada. Read more
Some rules were made to be broken. But some rules should never have been made in the first place. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich on ABC Radio: Financially distressed Greek Islands slugged with tax hike Read more
It’s easier to seek forgiveness than permission. And it might be more effective as well. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich talks about late German ex-Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. Read more
Labour’s Phil Twyford has been talking a lot of good sense on housing supply, but I am having a hard time making sense of his policies on foreign buyers. So far, the good outweighs the bad. Read more
It is with sincere regret we advise you that this will be our last Insights newsletter. This time next week, the majority of us will be on our way back to where we came from. Read more