Well, now we know what is likely to happen with taxes under a Labour government. National’s promised inflation-indexing of the lower income bracket tax thresholds will be gone, we will likely have some kind of water tax, but big changes like capital gains taxes are off the table until after a report from a Tax Working Group and the 2020 election. Read more

For discerning voters who were getting worried about the splashing of taxpayers' cash this election, fear not. While National and Labour have been pulling out all the stops to get swing voters over the line, not all election policies are designed to buy votes. Read more

With some exceptions, there is a distinct lack of co-operation among the various interests in New Zealand’s inshore fisheries. The lack of co-operation worsens as competition increases for limited fisheries resources. This is largely due to each interest asserting its rights of access to the resources prevail over others. There is no easy solution to this standoff. It is a classic game-theory problem known as the game of chicken, which was first popularised in the movie, Rebel Without a Cause. Read more

Elections are not quite the advance auctions of stolen goods that H.L. Mencken warned about. When the electorate is very lucky, elected governments break the worst promises they had to make to win election – or at least bend them. Labour’s industrial relations policy is a great example of a policy promise best left unfulfilled. Campaigning on the policy might attract a few votes. But delivering on it could be rather damaging, both for the overall economy and for the... Read more