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Apparently it is crunch time for Greece -- again. Over the next few days, we will find out whether Greece will stay in the eurozone, whether it will receive more bailout money or whether it will finally default (again). Read more
Wellington (1 June 2015): The Government should be commended for the introduction of a social bond in the mental health sector, as announced today by Finance Minister Bill English and Minister of Health Jonathan Coleman. It is the first of four social bonds the government aims to introduce. Read more
What do the Shotover jetboat operator, the maker of Weet-Bix breakfast cereal, St George’s Hospital in Christchurch, winemaker Mission Estate, and that group that plays the backing music on X-Factor have in common? No, this is not a joke. Read more
If the definition of madness is ‘doing something over and over again while expecting a different result’, then Europe is certainly going mad. At the same time that European integration is heading for the rocks, the leaders of France and Germany are calling for more of the same. Read more
Begging the reader’s indulgence, please bear with me while we conduct a brief thought exercise: Imagine for a second you received a letter telling you that the Transport Authority had conducted a review of your driver’s license. The letter says that having examined your stated reason for driving, insurance claims and record on the road against the department’s official definition of a driving purpose, you have been judged unfit to drive, and your licence has been cancelled. Read more
At a time when Britain is considering whether to leave the EU, Greece still teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, and Brussels cannot find a response to the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean, many ordinary Europeans will question what European integration has ever done for them. For Europeans concerned about the value of the EU, one project has always been cited as exemplifying what is so good about it. Read more
For public transit advocates wondering what form transport networks will take in a future increasingly concerned with urbanisation, congestion and energy efficiency, here is one probable answer: It will have four wheels, a small seat capacity and travel on the road. Yes, it is the car. Read more
Wellington (18 May 2015): Government needs to set clearer rules, provide greater transparency and remove the tax advantage enjoyed by for-profit arms of charity groups if it wants to promote the work of the charitable sector, according to The New Zealand Initiative. The public policy think tank’s latest report, Giving Charities a Helping Hand, analysed over a decade of regulatory change in the sector, and found that the current rules are stacked against smaller operators while allowing commercial arms of large charities to claim income tax exemptions with little oversight. Read more
Wellington (13 May 2015): Ahead of next week’s budget, The New Zealand Initiative is calling on government to adopt new ways of delivering social services that increase accountability on the billions spent on these programmes. That is one of the main findings of the public policy think tank’s latest report Investing for Success: Social Impact Bonds and the future of public services. Read more
Should Australian residence visas be for sale? That is the question the Productivity Commission has to investigate now as outlined in a paper it released last week. Read more