The ideas which underpin Kiwisaver entered into the New Zealand political dialogue in the late 1960s when the Labour Party, then in opposition, was looking at how to progress the welfare state. It ...

The Man Behind the Corporate Legend (Viking) which I reviewed here.

We are facing difficult challenges from the likely rise in import prices. Many readers may find this week’s column difficult compared to the discussions they are familiar with. That is because it ...

How far has the government’s Three Waters policy retreated? There are plenty of anecdotes which illustrate that the current management of fresh water, wastewater and storm water is failing. But they ...

Do we treat the government finances with the common sense that household’s manage theirs? It is a commonly held view that we should treat the government as if it is a prudent household. We don’t when ...

While many of the world’s Christian religions seem preoccupied with personal issues that Jesus, their founder, barely touched upon, they must engage with economic issues too. Robert Prevost, chose the ...

Steven Levitt, famous for his Freakanomics, shows that being an economist is not just mouthing supply and demand. Anyone can call themselves an ‘economist’. Many do, despite having no qualifications ...

The recent reduction in the US credit rating signals that market lenders are not happy with the US fiscal arrangements. New Zealand’s lower rating is a warning that we could do better too. Fitch ...

Implementing the New Zealand Health and Disability System review not only involves major technical problems but creates fascinating political tensions. The government is promising to redisorganise the ...

New Zealand has ‘Scandinavian ambitions in terms of quality of life, but a US attitude to tax’: Lara Clark. One of the most perceptive remarks about New Zealand’s fiscal tension was made by former ...

Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about the economy. So how do we go about it? You mean growth of GDP, sir? The Minister of Finance – ...

This year’s Nobel awards in economics raise critical issues about the future of the world. I was not alone with high hopes when the Soviet Union collapsed. It has been good to see various nations ...