The greatest weakness of the BPS is its failure to address the central problem of ensuring the future prosperity of New Zealanders by achieving faster growth in average incomes. This has been the government’s stated ‘top priority’ goal. Read more
A collection of speeches given by Sir Ronald Trotter between 1986 and 2002 on behalf of the New Zealand Business Roundtable. Read more
Some environmentalists believe that a pristine environment is a goal to be achieved regardless of the costs to human communities. Suri Ratnapala explains the need to balance threats to the environment with the threat to constitutional government that arises from ill-advised policy responses to the challenges of environmental protection. Read more
Competing to win is the fifth paper in a series that forms part of the New Zealand Institute’s research project on Creating a global New Zealand economy. This paper follows on from our first four papers No country is an island, Dancing with the stars?, The flight of the Kiwi, and Developing Kiwi global champions. Read more
We share the WRS team’s concern about the lagging performance of the regional economy. Both directly and through the Local Government Forum we have drawn attention to this problem in submissions to the Wellington City Council and the Wellington Regional Council over many years. Read more
We submit that the measures in this Bill represent (i) a major taking of private property rights without an acceptable public-interest justification, (ii) a lack of due process, and (iii) a lack of consideration of the question of compensation. Read more
The Business Roundtable welcomes the government's willingness to examine a reduction in the rate of company tax, but personal tax also needs to be reduced. It is opposed to the possible tax subsidies outlined in the discussion document. Read more
Developing Kiwi global champions is the fourth paper in a series that forms part of the New Zealand Institute’s research project on Creating a global New Zealand economy. This paper follows on from our first three papers No country is an island, Dancing with the Stars?, and The flight of the Kiwi. Read more
In An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith argued that there was a virtuous circle that led to increased prosperity. The source of economic growth and development was the gains from specialisation and trade realised through the greater division of labour and the expansion of the market economy. Read more
The three essential elements of successful school choice policies are: the freedom to open, expand and close schools in response to increased or reduced demand; funding following the student, putting all schools on the same footing; and independent management, so that schools are free to innovate in areas such as teaching practices, teacher pay, and school organisation. The report draws on a wide range of evidence including a study of the impact of Chicago’s charter schools on the environment. Read more
The flight of the Kiwi is the third paper in a series that forms part of the New Zealand Institute's research project on Creating a global New Zealand economy. This paper follows on from our first two papers No country is an island and Dancing with the stars?. Read more
The New Zealand Business Roundtable supports the proposed introduction of a 90-day probationary period for new employees. There are strong arguments in favour of the proposed reform. Read more
I am writing on behalf of the New Zealand Business Roundtable in response to the Commerce Commission's 21 April 2006 Reconsideration Report (Reconsideration Report) concerning the regulation of fixed line calls to mobile phones. The Business Roundtable is an organisation comprising primarily chief executives of major New Zealand businesses. Read more
Modest growth in New Zealand is not the result of an overdose of reforms or bad cultural attitudes. The problem, in short, is that the reform process has not been completed, and needs to be continued and extended. Read more
Submission on Auckland Regional Council's draft long term community plan 2006 - 2016 presented by Employers and Manufacturers Association (Northern) in conjunction with New Zealand Business Roundtable. Read more