The Opportunities Party wants to bring German-style renter protection laws to New Zealand – and that’s great, says Berlin-based New Zealander Maddie Holden. But how exactly does that policy fit with Gareth Morgan’s devotion to neoliberal economics? Gareth Morgan’s The Opportunities Party (TOP) unveiled an interesting new policy about rental housing this week, proposing to … Read more
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, Don Rowe surveys the chaos at the 66th Annual All Breeds Cat Show. You know what they say: nothing fixes a hangover like the hair of the cat, and so I took my hangover to a cat show at … Read more
Just another Sunday night for the fund manager, philosopher and new political party leader, discussing the issues with the people on social media. Yesterday on Q and A, deputy PM Paula Bennett dismissed the idea of a tourist tax. Gareth Morgan, leader of the nascent Opportunities Party, didn’t like that, particularly given the behaviour of some … Read more
You could be forgiven for thinking support for a Universal Basic Income comes only from Gareth Morgan and the more radical parts of the left. But as financial adviser Michael Warrington points out, the UBI has a lot to recommend it whatever your political outlook. Gareth Morgan’s proposals around tax and the Universal Basic Income (UBI) … Read more
The party with the most to do after Saturday’s by-election is the Greens. But the party that came out of the weekend in the worst shape may turn out to be Act, writes Simon Wilson There’s a whole bunch of reasons why the Greens didn’t do well in Mt Albert and none of them should … Read more
From broadcasters to philosophers to the Spinoff, economic illiteracy has abounded in response to the Opportunities Party’s tax policy, argues Gareth Morgan. Thanks to Paul Henry and Jamie Whyte we have a live discussion about where the burden should fall in making New Zealand fair again. At the Opportunities Party our view is that prosperity … Read more
Last week an economist-turned-politician and a broadcaster exchanged verbal salvoes over the idea of taxing certain assets as income. Jamie Whyte explains why he’s siding with the broadcaster. Gareth Morgan has a PhD in economics. Paul Henry does not. On Thursday, Henry interviewed Morgan about his new political party’s tax policy. An argument about economics … Read more
He wants to be a tax-raising and lowering, eat-the-rich Trump-but-not-like-that of the political centre. Duncan Greive heads to Parnell for the Gareth Morgan party’s very odd first policy launch. “Make New Zealand fair again,” says Gareth Morgan, more than once for emphasis, on a street in a suburb which has always and only and accurately … Read more
Ahead of New Zealand’s 2014 ‘Moment of Truth’ election, millionaire Kim Dotcom launched the Internet Party, in an attempt to disrupt the political orthodoxy. Today, millionaire Gareth Morgan launched the Opportunities Party, in an attempt to disrupt the political orthodoxy. We asked Dotcom if he’d indulge our ‘slightly silly idea’ and offer some advice to … Read more
Millionaire investor and political agitator Gareth Morgan’s launch of The Opportunities Party has been welcomed with Donald Trump comparisons and terrible cat puns. Toby Manhire asks him what he’s up to. Iconoclastic economist, motorcyclist, political agitator and cat predator Gareth Morgan this morning announced a new political party, promising “the opportunity to get a fair … Read more
Just a few thoughts, writes Toby Manhire, that’s all. And so the cat is out of the bag. Gareth Morgan has long been an influence on politics, but there is more than one way to skin a cat, and today he bared his Cheshire grin to announce the formation of The Opportunity Party. While no … Read more
The government endorsement of a predator-free nation is cause for real cheer. But it’s only a start, writes Gareth Morgan. The Government has formally endorsed a bold vision for a Predator Free New Zealand by 2050. They are investing $28m over four years into projects that will remove rats, stoats and possums from around a … Read more
The Unconditional Basic Income – a guaranteed sum of money for every citizen, no matter their other income – is an idea whose time has come, say Geoff Simmons and Gareth Morgan. So why aren’t we talking about how it would be funded? Try explaining the Unconditional (or Universal) Basic Income (UBI) and the most common … Read more
Land tax is a good idea. But the proposal to lump it on non-residents alone just invites go-betweens to take advantage. Time for a properly coherent tax policy, argues Gareth Morgan. John Key has floated the idea of an annual land tax on foreign buyers of residential real estate as one response to the influx … Read more