Comparing schools is complex at best – and a nightmare at worst. Every school has a different cohort of students, each with their own unique background. Read more
Oliver Hartwich introduces his new report #localismNZ: Bringing power to the people on Mike Hosking Breakfast. He also discusses the results of a new UMR poll that reveals the majority of those surveyed support shifting power from central government to local communities. Read more
A new survey reveals that the majority of those surveyed support a move towards local services being managed and provided by local decision-makers. With New Zealanders’ attitudes towards devolved government shifting, many believe now is the time to explore localism. Read more
Wellington (27 February 2019): A joint LGNZ/New Zealand Initiative conference held in Wellington tomorrow will explore the results of a new survey that reveals the majority of those surveyed support a move towards local services being managed and provided by local decision-makers. With New Zealanders’ attitudes towards devolved government shifting, many believe now is the time to explore localism. Read more
Reselling concert tickets is now a challenging problem due to scammers. Some people are struggling to sell tickets to Wellington's Eminem concert at the Westpac Stadium. Read more
Last week, Thomas Coughlin reported that “the wellbeing framework that puts the ‘value of a statistical life’ at $4.7 million is coming under fire.” There is a lot to criticise about the wellbeing framework, and I am hardly one of its cheerleaders. But it is absurd to criticise it for trying to apply proper cost-benefit assessment – and even more absurd to criticise it for putting a value on statistical lives. Read more
The Tax Working Group released this week its much-anticipated “Future of Tax” report, which recommends introducing a broad-based taxation of capital gains at full income rates. As proposed, the 33% headline rate would be one of the highest among industrialised economies. Read more
As if to squeeze the most out of the short parliamentary term, the Government has been busy with a flurry of initiatives. Such a hurry can be costly. Read more
Canadian psychologist Dr Jordan Peterson has a lot to answer for. At least he does according to Auckland Peace Action spokesman Iris Krzyzosiak. Read more
Patrick Carvalho joins Peter Williams on Magic Talk with his take on the Tax Working Group report and the impact of a proposed capital gains tax. He explains why the broad-based top rate of 33% CGT would push New Zealand to the top of the international CGT rankings among industrialised economies, just behind Denmark and Finland. Read more
Some folks take the wrong lesson from intermediate microeconomics – or never took the course in the first place. I worry that too many of them staff Wellington’s bureaus. Read more
Wellington (21 February 2019): The Tax Working Group’s report released today proposes a broad-based top rate of 33% capital gains tax (CGT). The New Zealand Initiative argues in a new policy note, The Pitfalls of CGT, that headline rate would immediately push New Zealand to the top of the international CGT rankings among industrialised economies, just behind Denmark and Finland. Read more
Executive SummaryTax Working Group’s proposed rate of capital gains tax one of the most penal in the world. The Tax Working Group’s report proposes a broad-based top rate of 33% capital gains tax. Read more
The Tax Working Group’s report proposes a broad-based top rate of 33% capital gains tax (CGT). Patrick Carvalho explains to Larry Williams on Newstalk ZB why fully taxing capital gains would likely have undesirable effects on productivity, investment and growth, and impose significant compliance costs. Read more
If success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm, then German economics minister Peter Altmaier is on a winning streak. Just as Airbus was about to announce the end of its A380 production, Altmaier presented his vision for Germany’s future industrial policy. Read more