Economy
This COVID Farce Must End
If the Prime Minister has any political nous at all she will end this current COVID farce and let everyone get on with a normal life as many appear to be doing anyway. Phil Goff is telling us that we must stay local. If Phil liked to take a drive
Staggering Number of Households Are In Mortgage Arrears
I can’t help feeling that the economic tsunami (to misquote Chris Hipkins) is swirling around below the surface just waiting to erupt sometime soon, but it just hasn’t quite got there yet. Whether or not it will finally show itself before the election is anyone’s guess. That
COVID-19 Costs & Benefits – Revisited
Dr Bryce Wilkinson nzinitiative.org.nz For those who care about New Zealanders’ wellbeing, the central issue is if the benefits of any given level of lockdown plausibly exceed the costs. About four months ago, I calculated it might be worth sacrificing 6.1% of one year of New Zealand’
The Government Doesn’t Seem to Realise Business Reality Makes Our Elimination Strategy Untenable
Jeremy Harris Jeremy Harris is a businessman and investor from Auckland, New Zealand. Last Tuesday morning I had a very difficult conversation with my staff. With tears in my eyes, I told them that due to the likely renewed lockdown there was a good likelihood I would eventually have to
Bluescope: More Kiwi Jobs to Go
Long after Jacinda Ardern and her on-again, off-again lockdowns are consigned to the dustbin of electoral history, New Zealanders will be paying off the debt of her policies. But, that is, as we say in Australia, on the never-never. Which means that something has been bought on
We’re Printing Money
Jordan Williams Executive Director New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union In the nearly seven years I’ve been running the Taxpayers’ Union, it’s fair to say the last few weeks have been the strangest. We totally rewrote our election campaign strategy following COVID the first time. We scrapped the election “Bribe-
Katie Hopkins On Lockdown Bankrupts Britain. No Sh*t Sherlock
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Pay Up, Boomers – Business Leader
Way back in April (1st, no less!) I suggested that perhaps it might be condign for the older generations to pony up for the devastating economic and social costs of pandemic responses that are designed mostly for their benefit. The suggestion did not seem to go over well with many
The Fallacy of New Zealand’s Pandemic Police-State
In contrast to the fawning adulation of the legacy media, venerable think-tank the American Institute for Economic Research has cast a jaundiced eye over the reign of Jacinda Ardern. Suffice to say, they’re not much impressed. For months we’ve heard the cry: oh how wonderfully New Zealand
Under 65 and Healthy Individuals Must Be Able to Get on With Life
Jeremy Harris Jeremy Harris is a businessman and investor from Auckland, New Zealand. Dear Prime Minister, I supported the initial national lockdown and move to quarantined borders. Over the last 5 months the situation has changed markedly in four respects: * Firstly, the Infection Fatality Ratio can now be calculated to
Why We Can’t Keep Going Into Lockdown
This was going to be a boring little article about the government’s new rules about provisional tax penalties. I was going to recommend you read it after 11.00 tonight, particularly if you are having trouble sleeping. But I am going to have to leave that for another day
Letter From the North: Financial Dark Skies Ahead
Taking time off from writing my letters from the North I managed to do some work for my day job. During my busy week, I had some interesting face time with managers of second-level funding institutions. These are participating in and advising on the Government protection devices attempting to
What Is New Zealand’s Coronavirus End Game?
Jeremy Harris Jeremy Harris is a businessman and investor from Auckland, New Zealand. As we emerge bleary-eyed from hiding behind our couches and under our beds, into the level-1 sun (or rain), with the fear subsiding we are now able to appraise objectively where we find ourselves as