Author Archive

Does New Zealand need more immigration?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:49 am, April 18th, 2018 - 186 comments

The Australian Federal Treasury has put out a think piece that has come out strongly in support of the government policy of adding 190,000 non-humanitarian migrants a year with a focus on taking skilled workers. Should New Zealand do the same?

Global finance and climate change

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:00 am, April 14th, 2018 - 18 comments

The two greatest powers at work in the world right now are the roles of global finance, and climate change. In New Zealand we don’t yet see how these intersecting worlds of finance and climate change are interacting, or the government’s role in forming that interaction. But this is close.

Is this a new cold war?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 4:10 pm, April 11th, 2018 - 17 comments

It’s really easy to get cranky right now and believe the world is retreating into to a sad Cold War binary in which Russia and its allies are always in high tension with the United States and its allies. A new Cold War.

North Korea redux

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:30 am, April 7th, 2018 - 14 comments

Does being incoherent work sometimes? With the President of North Korea visiting China for the first time, meeting with the South Korean President for the first time, and preparing to meet with the Japanese President and with the President of the United States, was Trump’s approach actually right for the circumstances?

US Trade Tariffs against China

Written By: advantage - Date published: 2:14 pm, March 23rd, 2018 - 66 comments

Make no mistake: this is the single biggest anti-trade act the world has seen since the Iranian revolution’s nationalisation program from 1979.

Auckland’s new fuel tax

Written By: advantage - Date published: 10:04 am, March 23rd, 2018 - 37 comments

The signs are that Aucklanders are going to support a regional fuel tax designed to alleviate congestion.

Remember President Obama?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 10:24 am, March 20th, 2018 - 79 comments

The world has changed dramatically since Barak Obama was President of the United States.

Where is our economic leadership?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 10:06 am, March 16th, 2018 - 38 comments

This government has not yet developed an economic strategy.

#MeToo

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:30 am, March 15th, 2018 - 13 comments

It’s been awesome to see feminist activists in New Zealand enable a new and fast liberation occur. It’s worth reflecting on the success of #MeToo and all its new forms.

Productivity

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:00 am, March 14th, 2018 - 32 comments

A more productive economy – and society – has been an elusive goal for many of New Zealand’s previous governments. The last National Government failed. What will Labour do to succeed?

Was National a good economic manager?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:30 am, March 10th, 2018 - 75 comments

Bill Rosenberg from the CTU has stated convincingly why National is not and was not a sound manager of the economy.

The Overseas Investment Amendment Bill

Written By: advantage - Date published: 10:55 am, March 9th, 2018 - 73 comments

Ad argues that the merits of banning overseas ownership of local land is not as simple or as virtuous as we may think.

We need more ministers like Steven Joyce

Written By: advantage - Date published: 11:45 am, March 7th, 2018 - 123 comments

Rare praise for Steven Joyce from someone on the left.

Putting some steel into trade

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:45 am, March 4th, 2018 - 82 comments

Does anyone want to take a punt on where the U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum will go?

Break Up Social Media Itself

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:31 am, March 2nd, 2018 - 23 comments

It is time to regulate the power of cyber criminals and cyber monopolies.

Our Reserve Bank

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:30 am, February 28th, 2018 - 97 comments

There is a case for the Reserve Bank to be eradicated, or at least major changes made to its structure.

Global Sharemarkets

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:05 am, February 15th, 2018 - 63 comments

Recent volatility in the U.S. stockmarkets has attracted calls that capitalism is facing a crisis. But the reality appears to be different.

Where’s my share?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 11:00 am, February 14th, 2018 - 35 comments

Had anyone with a job (other than the top 2 tiers of management) had a wage increase higher than inflation recently?

A storm is coming

Written By: advantage - Date published: 11:04 am, February 12th, 2018 - 65 comments

A big storm is set to hit Auckland next week. And it won’t be the last.

Fonterra and Fletcher Building

Written By: advantage - Date published: 2:05 pm, February 9th, 2018 - 54 comments

New Zealand only has two businesses of world-competitive scale that are also majority owned by New Zealanders: Fonterra, and Fletcher Building. And they appear to have lost their way and put much of their value and our wellbeing at risk.

Two Labour Governments, two coal mines

Written By: advantage - Date published: 12:38 pm, February 7th, 2018 - 13 comments

The New Zealand Government has rejected the OIO’s proposal to allow Bathurst to purchase DOC land for coal mining purposes. And in Australia the Queensland Labor Government is working out how it can back out of an agreement to permit the Adani coal mine to proceed.