Speeches

This speech, delivered to the Auckland Goethe Society, celebrated the bond between New Zealand and Germany, highlighting the joys and challenges of learning German while emphasizing the cognitive benefits of bilingualism. It also (humorously) touched on the importance of understanding MMP and the unique German sense of humor.

Nobody knows what exactly our future will look like. But we do know that an economic framework with secure property rights, sound money, competition, freedom of contract, open markets and a functioning price system will give us the flexibility we need to weather the storms and grow out of this crisis.

The link between transparency and the political reform process.

Maybe Merkel meant well. But that is the best you can say about her refugee policy.

Shrinking government spending and government debt is vital if we want future generations to enjoy prosperous lives. Unfortunately, given the mechanisms of representative democracy in an ageing society, this looks like an impossible task.

The European crisis we have been witnessing from afar for the past three years is not an ordinary recession. It is not even an ordinary depression. In fact, it is not even an ordinary economic crisis.

Australian economic journalism does not have to be afraid of a comparison with the kind of journalism that is practiced abroad. But a greater focus on international developments could make it better still.

German constituency MPs thus also lack the degree of personal independence that we would often find in countries with a first-past-the-post system. The grip of political parties on the political process in Germany is much stronger than in countries like Britain, the US, or New Zealand.