Suffocating media
Who will talk about the future of this country when the crisis is over? Which investigative reporters will uncover political scandals? Which commentators will offer new ideas to enlighten or enrage? [...]
New Zealand
Working for New Zealand
Physically separated but united in spirit, our team has done what we do best. To work towards good policy. We cannot pretend this crisis is an opportunity. But we do believe we can help New Zealand in responding to it. [...]
Nowhere to live
Last week, a paper by the Helen Clark Foundation garnered much media attention. Somewhere to live presented the Foundation’s views on housing policy. I read the document with an open mind and personal curiosity. [...]
New Zealand’s biggest social scandal
There is nothing in our housing affordability data we should ever get used to. They are and remain outrageous. [...]
A year of delivery
The Prime Minister had declared 2019 “the year of delivery”. Voters will eventually judge the government on whether it has succeeded. At the Initiative, we had our own year of delivery. [...]
Zero Carbon Bill fails the climate
It is not enough to just say you care about the climate. We want to see effective and efficient measures to cut emissions. The Zero Carbon legislation does not deliver them. [...]
Waking up to woke
We need to ask for facts when the other side only offers emotions. If we do not do that, we will end up with speech codes resembling those of totalitarian regimes. [...]
The Unreserved Bank
The RBNZ needs urgent clarification that the Monetary Policy Committee will only pursue monetary goals, even under conditions of quantitative easing. [...]
The Unreserved Bank of New Zealand
As the Reserve Bank takes on fiscal functions, its political neutrality and commitment to monetary stability, as well as maximum sustainable employment, need to be re-emphasised. [...]
Trans-Tasman monitoring
Given the past and current closeness of Treasury and the Reserve Bank, should not a monitoring agent be more removed from the object it is supervising? [...]
