Oram on the Brash Report

Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, December 3rd, 2009 - 12 comments
Categories: economy - Tags: , ,

Always worth listening to, Rod Oram rips the Brash Report on Nine to Noon, not just on the findings but on the quality of the work, that we’re paying half a million dollars for. Here are some of the choice quotes:

  • “At every point it has unbelievably facile analysis and, in fact, substitutes rather generic assertions for detailed analysis”
  • “[The findings aren’t surprising] the surprise is the very poor quality of the analysis”,
  • On the ‘myths’ the report debunks: “The report debunks the myth that there is something about this agenda that would actually be beneficial for New Zealand.”
  • “The report is so poorly analysed and argued. It’s so narrowly a very theoretical economic view.”
  • “He’s not the least bit interested in the practical reality; he’s always arguing from a very theoretical base”.
  • “The sheer lack of intellectual curiosity in this report extends to what Australia is up to”
  • On subsequent reports from the taskforce: “I’m afraid on the quality of this report and the fact it’s completely devoid of curiosity about what’s going on in the rest of the world, I’m just not hopeful”

    • 12 comments on “Oram on the Brash Report ”

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    1. Pascal's bookie 1
      3 December 2009 at 10:21 am

      I reckon a pragmatic centrist would probably sack a productivity commissioner that came up with such a report. On pragmatic centrist grounds.

    2. Sanctuary 2
      3 December 2009 at 10:54 am

      Rod Oram, first appointee for my productivity commission.

    3. Sanctuary 3
      3 December 2009 at 11:02 am

      Which raises the question… Who would be on YOUR productivity commission? My twelve names:

      Susan St John
      Brian Easton
      Peter Harris
      Peter Conway
      Rod Oram
      Mark Solomon
      Peter Gluckman
      Bryan Gould
      Alan Bollard
      Gareth Morgan
      Phil O’Reilly
      Jim Mather

    4. RedLogix 4
      3 December 2009 at 11:10 am

      Keith Rankin
      Steven Keen

    5. RedLogix 5
      3 December 2009 at 11:22 am

      Curiously enough I found the Productivity Commission report an interesting read all the same. Much of the discussion is interesting and makes some useful arguments. I actually recommend folk read it.

      But repeatedly the line of thought reaches an almost bizarre disconnect when it jumps from describing the problem, to prescribing a response to it. It’s almost as if one part was written by the broader membership of the commission, and the other solely by Brash himself.

      Wonder if others are reading it the same?

    6. Classical Liberal 6
      3 December 2009 at 11:24 am

      Have to have Tim Hazledine – author of Taking New Zealand Seriously – the economics of decency
      And I’d invite Joseph Heath – author of Filthy Lucre to advise the committee.

    7. Bored 7
      3 December 2009 at 12:09 pm

      Great work Rod Oram. As an aside I went out to a new restaurant as a treat on Tuesday in Tory Street, the place was packed. Sitting in view were the well-heeled denizens of government departments, corporate types and lobbyists, a couple of well known economists and some journos. Great food and equivalent prices.

      What struck me is that this was a representative sample of the capitals movers and shakers, the people who make pronouncements and decisions that affect everybody. In the case of the journos and economists my concern was that they make sweeping pronouncements that relate to how the rest of the population live, yet they are so removed and so privileged. They live on another planet, Brash probably lives in a different universe.

      • prism 7.1
        3 December 2009 at 7:41 pm

        Bored – I think that I read, that Brash till recently if ever, has not had to apply for a job. He was such a bright and competent student of economics that he was offered positions from the start. Not for him the ordinary grind so he lacks the background understanding of ordinary folks.

        • lprent 7.1.1
          3 December 2009 at 10:34 pm

          My mother didn’t like him for economics when she was at uni. Her kindest comment was that his understanding of the relationship between his charts and reality was a bit tenuous, and he certainly couldn’t communicate about anything to with actual people.

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