Are journalists making the economic situation seem worse? Listener 31 May, 2008 Keywords: Macroeconomics & Money; Statistics; What is happening to journalism? You will recall that, last year, journalists campaigned for tax cuts based on a total misunderstanding of the Government accounts. They used the wrong measure of the Budget surplus, which…
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Presentation for the “ 3 Books, 3 Scholars” seminar in the J.C. Beaglehole room – 27th May Keywords: Literature and Culture; Political Economy & History; When it was first opened over forty years, this room was a part of the teaching rooms of the university. I guess I am confessing that I am a…
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Why we rate poorly in the OECD’s output-per-person stakes. Listener: 17 May, 2008 Keywords: Growth & Innovation; Suppose your car goes slower than anyone else’s. What would you think if your mechanic said, “Get a new driver”, or “It should be painted red”, or “It needs a better carburettor” without first putting his head under…
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Revised Paper for a Seminar, 15 May 2008 Keywords: Growth & Innovation; Statistics; I have been asked to make a few remarks on research into economic growth in New Zealand. Let me begin with some preliminaries. Policy I am going to avoid suggesting any policy conclusions which might follow from the…
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The liquidity drunks have taken over the economic asylum. Listener: 3 May, 2008 Keywords: Macroeconomics & Money; The standard explanation of the ongoing world financial crisis is that the United States Government has been running a huge fiscal deficit, which has poured liquidity (cash and near-cash) into the world economy. This facilitated…
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