The Bulletin: How local should government go?

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Local government proposals raise support and concerns, Wellington buses have been a mess, and Te Papa’s CEO defends job cut restructure proposals. We touched on the Local Government NZ conference a bit at the start of the week, but I think it deserves further exploring. The … Read more

Are Australian banks rent seeking in New Zealand? And what can we do about it?

As Australian banks make more and more money in New Zealand, they contribute less and less to the economy, says Sam Stubbs. Here’s what we can do about it. The Australian banking inquiry has been the greatest scandal in Australian corporate history. Heads are rolling, fines being handed out and criminal charges laid. And it’s far … Read more

The Bulletin: Migrant workers, unemployment and kiwifruit

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Kiwifruit workers debate and divide deepens, an admission that Kiwibuild might not involve actually building so many houses, and Trump pulls out of Iran deal.   The shortage of fruit pickers and packhouse staff has morphed into a debate on migrant workers and unemployment in Parliament. One … Read more