Those in favour of increasing minimum wages often express altruistic motives and concern for those on the lowest rungs of the socio-economic ladder. But in doing so, they conveniently ignore an obvious flaw in the argument: a rise in the cost of workers will likely reduce demand for labour. Read more
Hipsters are a fascinating species. They dress like they are from the 1950s, listen to music from any era, but have a distinctly millennial attitude. Read more
If recent media reports can be believed, Angela Merkel has decided to run for a fourth term in 2017. This will come as a surprise to those who had speculated that the German Chancellor might resign sometime before the next election. Read more
Wellington (4 August 2015): The New Zealand Initiative’s annual Next Generation Debate series will have high profile New Zealanders asserting their views on a range of topical political issues, as well as seeing some of the top students from Otago, Canterbury, Wellington and Auckland universities go head to head. Hon Maryan Street, who proposed and championed the End-of-Life Choice Bill and Dr Stephen Child, Chair of the New Zealand Medical Association will discuss the issue of legalising euthanasia in the first semi-final, with a question and answer session concluding their presentations. Read more
Last week’s ‘A More Inclusive New Zealand Forum’ brought together government, NGO and community representatives to discuss how to promote social and economic participation. The purpose was to get a variety of expertise in the room from economists, to policy wonks, to those working on the ground. Read more
Central government is squandering billions of dollars of householders’ income. It is doing so simply because it lacks the incentive to assess value for money with sufficient rigour. Read more
Over the past weeks, we have heard a lot of talk about Asian buyers allegedly being responsible for skyrocketing house prices in Auckland. You sometimes get the impression that in New Zealand’s relationship with Asia and Asians, all that matters are their combined effects on Auckland property. Read more
When the government moved to privatise Mount Eden prison, I was a sceptic. There can be very good arguments for outsourcing service provision or privatisation in all kinds of sectors, but prisons were about the last on my list. Read more
(Warning: this editorial contains large doses of sarcasm and anti-paternalism that may exceed recommended nanny state allowances.) With that out of the way, the US Federal Government recently announced plans to make nutritional food labelling mandatory in restaurants, grocery stores, and at vending machines. The aim behind the plan is to tackle rising obesity rates on the assumption that there is an information market failure at the root of this health crisis. Read more
When you are in a hole, you should stop digging. What sounds like timeless advice apparently does not apply in the eurozone. Read more
Late last week, Labour Party Trade spokesman David Parker claimed that overseas speculation on residential properties in Auckland were a lost opportunity for provincial regions like Timaru. Parker asserted that unproductive investment in the housing market came at a cost of missed productive investment opportunities for regions that need it most. Read more
I’m not a fan of paternalism but in one area it has its place: education. Students should be able to choose from a range of disciplines to find the one that best suits their inclinations, interests and future career ambitions. Read more
If you believe political pundits, New Zealand will go to the polls in late 2017. It could well be an election fought on personalities rather than on substance. Read more
There is no poverty in New Zealand. Child poverty is a major problem. Read more
“Education is the key, the key to what, which house, which doorway?” were the words neatly inscribed on a visibly stressed cue card as I trembled in front of my peers delivering the dreaded Form 6 speech, over 15 years ago. How things come full circle. Read more