Robert MacCulloch
Robert MacCulloch is a native of New Zealand and worked at the Reserve Bank of NZ before travelling to the UK to complete a PhD in Economics at Oxford University.
This blog has been frequently featured on Bassett, Brash and Hide, as well as former ACT MP Muriel Newman’s NZ Centre for Political Research. Many folks on the left of Kiwi politics dislike us, especially for calling Grant Robertson, now vice chancellor of Otago, “Worst Finance Minister Ever”, and arguing he didn’t deserve his current position. No government jobs will ever come my way from Labour.
Yesterday we outed the current National finance minister for trying to take over the Reserve Bank of NZ of behalf of the Big Banks to get their capital requirements relaxed. So this is how National Party supporting KiwiBlog readers now characterize us: “Mr MacCulloch is getting a lot of air time on Newstalk lately. Comes across as a bitter and twisted lefty. Pity help his poor students.”
We are proud to be labelled a bitter, twisted lefty, and dumped by Bassett, Brash and Hide’s blog because one of its founders disliked an article we ran about historical abuse at Dilworth College. I’ve been told by National MPs no government jobs will come my way from that party, due to our reporting.
Which gets to the crux of the matter. The National and Labour parties, in a combined effort, have together driven NZ into division and economic stagnation. Outing them is something we wear as a badge of honor. As for ‘pitying my poor students’ with biased diatribes, last week ACT Leader Seymour explained his view on regulation to them, and in previous years ACT founder Sir Roger Douglas has debated his plans for more economic reform with them. We’ve also regularly had visits from Labour’s David Parker, who outlined his problem with high inequality in NZ and how to address it, and run events on well-being economics with Green Leader Swarbrick. Maybe National and Labour’s leaders and supporters could focus on how to drive prosperity in NZ, rather than promoting their own vested interests via putting their energy into trying to socially and career-wise ruin (yes that’s what they’re doing) those of us who provide fresh ideas, debates and a clean-out of the old guard with an even hand.
This article was originally published by Down to Earth Kiwi.
