Politicians are naturally drawn to top-down solutions. For one thing, they afford Ministers the illusion of control. Read more
New Zealand prides itself on being an open trading nation. When it comes to trade in goods and services this claim is certainly true. Read more
The number of potholes on the country’s highways has more than doubled since 2017. In 2022 alone, more than 54,000 needed urgent repair. Read more
With his surprising decision not just to resign but to step away from politics altogether, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has created a phase of uncertainty. Rutte’s tenure, one of the longest among European heads of government, was previously characterised by adroit navigation of a political environment that can be as challenging as it is diverse. Read more
ACT has announced they want to introduce a "world-class toll roading system" that will use private sector financing and expertise to get new roads built faster and to maintain existing roads quicker and more effectively. Dr Eric Crampton joins Radio NZ's The Panel, Wallace Chapman and panellists Zoe George and Stephen Franks, to discuss whether we should introduce more toll roads. Read more
Oliver Hartwich was interviewed by Paul Brennan on Reality Check Radio on his observations in Ireland - Welcoming foreign business investment and valuing success in education.
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In this episode, Michael Johnston talks with Oliver Hartwich about a New Zealand delegation that went on an eye-opening journey to Ireland, a country making impressive strides in nurturing businesses and overall growth. They confront New Zealand's shortcomings in comparison, sparking a conversation about the need for systemic change at home. Read more
There is no chance it is deliberate. Deliberateness would require more coordination than government is able to manage these days. Read more
Last week’s NATO summit in Vilnius was supposed to be about Ukraine’s needs and whether they would be met. Zelenskiy wanted guarantees for future NATO membership and the military alliance wanted to present a united front to Putin. Read more
It was a perfectly executed transition from one Prime Minister to another. When Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation in January, it took the New Zealand Labour Party only a few days to anoint her successor, Chris Hipkins. Read more
Meetings of the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF) are a regular fixture in the calendars of Australian and New Zealand business leaders and politicians. But their content has also become regular – which is to say, repetitive. Read more
Join us in this thought-provoking podcast episode as Drs James Kierstead and Michael Johnston engage in a conversation with Emeritus Professor John Raine, an esteemed academic with extensive experience in the New Zealand education system. We explore the evolution of academic standards and university preparedness, discussing the impact of changes in the education system and the importance of foundational knowledge in subjects like mathematics and sciences. Read more
New Zealand’s roads are in the political headlights, as opposing camps clash over the delicate balance between road safety and road efficiency – think of it as the policy equivalent of Ford vs Holden. Advocates of greater efficiency point out that potholes have turned our state highway network into a lunar landscape, a phenomenon I had the opportunity to acquaint myself intimately with during a road trip to Gisborne over Matariki. Read more
The early decades of the 21st century may be remembered as the great age of misinformation. From false assertions about the size of the 45th President’s inauguration crowd to science-free claims about nano-technology, 5G cell phone towers and COVID-19, fake news abounds. Read more
One bit of the Climate Commission’s draft advice, released in March, seemed particularly strange. The Commission worried that a surge in forest planting over the coming years would bring about a collapse in ETS prices in the 2030s and put New Zealand’s net zero commitments beyond 2050 at risk. Read more