Brian Easton

Should the Governor of the Reserve Bank Be Elected, Or is the Bank Just A Tool of Parliament?
Listener: 21 September, 1996.

Keywords: Macroeconomics & Money;

Would you rather be voting for the Governor of the Reserve Bank than the parliament? A yes probably rests on the belief that the governor is more powerful than the prime minister. Irrespective of whether he is, his power comes from parliament, and he or she is but a eunuch without parliament’s command.

Christchurch’s Economic Success is Associated with A Tradition of Civic Community. Wellington, Take Note.
Listener: 7 September, 1996.

Keywords: Governance;

The church hall was packed, and the audience angry. In a few days the Wellington city Council was going to decide what to do with its majority share in Capital Power, its local electricity supply authority (ESA). Everyone expected them to divest their control, despite the populace supporting the maintenance of the asset in public hands. A citizens’ jury had favoured public ownership, an opinion poll had supported them, everybody seemed against the divestment of control. Yet the decision seemed destined to go against the majority wishes. Just as a few years earlier the Council had agreed to sell a minority share to a private investor.