Category New Zealand Politics
Covid-19, unemployment & a Government Job Guarantee
I’m not going to argue the merits or otherwise of the New Zealand Government’s decision to enforce a lock-down and close all non essential businesses. That decision has been made, and our best option as a nation now is to apply it as stringently as possible so that we get on top of the virus’s […]
A radical idea for low income housing in New Zealand
There has quite rightly been a storm of criticism of the Labour Government’s Kiwibuild initiative in the last couple of weeks. While it may be true that the policy was never intended for low income households, the PR promotion of a couple as early beneficiaries of the scheme, likely earning significantly above the median household income, […]
Modern Monetary Theory – Part 3 Deficit Spending & Taxation
There has been significant criticism of the new Labour Government Finance Minister, Grant Robertson, of late because of his determination to stick to his budget surplus & government debt to GDP targets outlined in his Budget Responsibility Rules that formed part of the coalition agreement. Even orthodox economists are ambivalent about this government “borrowing” more […]
Modern Monetary Theory; Part Two Government Job Guarantee
A fundamental part of MMT is a Government Job Guarantee. Basically this is a commitment for the government to act as employer of last resort at minimum wage. Everybody who wants a job up to 40 hours a week can get one regardless of circumstances. It removes all involuntary unemployment and underemployment. If you have […]
Modern Monetary Theory; Overview Part 1
This is a multi part exposition of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) & the closely associated topics of a Job Guarantee & deficit financing. It also along the way challenges the ideological political & economic project commonly referred to as neoliberalism. The topic may seem dry, esoteric or even boring, but its implications are profound, affecting […]
What constitutes radical politics in 2017?
The latest policy release by TOP leader Gareth Morgan that they would like to introduce a $10,000 pa Universal Basic Income for all New Zealanders, starting with parents of under 3’s, and make National Superannuation a means tested top up, is the most “radical” policy announcement from a political party in years. It set me […]
The Gareth Morgan Show
It was only a matter of time before Gareth Morgan entered the political sphere with the Opportunities Party. As a wealthy philanthropist, one time economist/kiwisaver fund manager and author of The Big Kahuna he has the time, resources and intellectual firepower to make a mark on New Zealand politics. It would be a shame if his […]
Intensification won’t make Auckland affordable
It’s demand stupid! Housing affordability in Auckland has very little to do with supply and a lot to do with demand; from rampant, out of control immigration in particular, stoked with speculative fever, fueled by easy, irresponsible bank lending and up to $10B pa of laundered money. The failure of the Auckland Council to agree to […]
Lest we forget
Perhaps I’m missing something, but I want no part of the predictable pantomime being played out around the 100th Gallipoli commemoration. The RSA sanctioned chocolates in the shape of helmets are the tackiest manifestation of ANZAC fever (is the mint filling supposed to be brains?) The joint use of ANZAC mythology by Prime Minister Key and […]
Policy ideas for Andrew Little and Grant Robertson
As Andrew Little, Grant Robertson and the rest of the Labour caucus scratch around for relevant economic ideas, they could do worse than to go past Mariana Mazzucato, an academic at the University of Sussex and champion of state led innovation and intervention in a mixed rather than pure market economy. In 2013 Mazzucato wrote […]
unframed 