About
Brian Easton
Latest articles
Brian Easton wonders if David Seymour really IS an old fashioned lefty
Brian Easton says New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China?
29th Jul 24, 9:05am
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Brian Easton says New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China?
Brian Easton says if the Housing Minister's strategy works it would transform the housing market
22nd Jul 24, 9:28am
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Brian Easton says if the Housing Minister's strategy works it would transform the housing market
Brian Easton says there are lessons about international trade to be learned from Brexit, especially as it is very unusual for an economy to break so completely from its major trading partner
15th Jul 24, 8:27am
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Brian Easton says there are lessons about international trade to be learned from Brexit, especially as it is very unusual for an economy to break so completely from its major trading partner
Brian Easton explains the background to how the government got into its cancer drugs muddle
8th Jul 24, 9:32am
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Brian Easton explains the background to how the government got into its cancer drugs muddle
Brian Easton says evaluating the impact of social policies will be very difficult but the government does not seem to be doing much real evaluation
1st Jul 24, 9:21am
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Brian Easton says evaluating the impact of social policies will be very difficult but the government does not seem to be doing much real evaluation
Brian Easton examines the Coalition Government's 'muddle on' strategy
Brian Easton says the Coalition Government has already used up what first-term room it had in the economy
10th Jun 24, 9:10am
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Brian Easton says the Coalition Government has already used up what first-term room it had in the economy
Brian Easton is impressed by how effective the Taxpayers' Union has been. He looks at their recipe of how to run a successful pressure group
3rd Jun 24, 9:24am
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Brian Easton is impressed by how effective the Taxpayers' Union has been. He looks at their recipe of how to run a successful pressure group
Brian Easton notes the 2018 Social Security Act suggests Labour has retreated to the minimalist (neo-liberal) welfare state which has developed out of the Richardson-Shipley ‘redesign’
27th May 24, 9:43am
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Brian Easton notes the 2018 Social Security Act suggests Labour has retreated to the minimalist (neo-liberal) welfare state which has developed out of the Richardson-Shipley ‘redesign’
Brian Easton offers an economic perspective on the Fast Track Approvals Bill
[updated]
Brian Easton says Statistics NZ focusing on administrative data and abandoning the census could be seen as symbolic of a narrowing remit; hopefully that is not Stats NZ’s intention
13th May 24, 8:51am
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Brian Easton says Statistics NZ focusing on administrative data and abandoning the census could be seen as symbolic of a narrowing remit; hopefully that is not Stats NZ’s intention
Brian Easton wonders whether the economy is in another long stagnation - and if so, why?
7th May 24, 10:35am
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Brian Easton wonders whether the economy is in another long stagnation - and if so, why?
Brian Easton says it's all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines
29th Apr 24, 1:10pm
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Brian Easton says it's all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines
Brian Easton makes the case for a Universal Family Benefit as a way to reduce child poverty, which he says could reduce child poverty at no extra fiscal cost
22nd Apr 24, 10:30am
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Brian Easton makes the case for a Universal Family Benefit as a way to reduce child poverty, which he says could reduce child poverty at no extra fiscal cost
Brian Easton casts an eye over the general calls for higher economic growth. He wants to see more focus on addressing economic bottlenecks, but can't find evidence less regulation delivers higher growth
15th Apr 24, 12:59pm
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Brian Easton casts an eye over the general calls for higher economic growth. He wants to see more focus on addressing economic bottlenecks, but can't find evidence less regulation delivers higher growth
Independent economist Brian Easton asks; Do we treat the government finances with the common sense that household’s manage theirs?
8th Apr 24, 12:52pm
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Independent economist Brian Easton asks; Do we treat the government finances with the common sense that household’s manage theirs?
Independent economist Brian Easton says budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government
1st Apr 24, 10:31am
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Independent economist Brian Easton says budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government
Independent economist Brian Easton wonders if Nicola Willis is hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition
25th Mar 24, 8:31am
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Independent economist Brian Easton wonders if Nicola Willis is hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions, independent economist Brian Easton writes
18th Mar 24, 9:31am
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What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions, independent economist Brian Easton writes
Independent economist Brian Easton says households with children are more likely to have mortgages, so they are likely to be hit more heavily by the rise in interest rates
4th Mar 24, 9:20am
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Independent economist Brian Easton says households with children are more likely to have mortgages, so they are likely to be hit more heavily by the rise in interest rates
Independent economist Brian Easton looks at the sorry story of earthquake-prone buildings
26th Feb 24, 8:39am
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Independent economist Brian Easton looks at the sorry story of earthquake-prone buildings
Independent economist Brian Easton says public policy towards tobacco consumption remains politically sensitive
19th Feb 24, 8:29am
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Independent economist Brian Easton says public policy towards tobacco consumption remains politically sensitive
Independent economist Brian Easton says Christopher Luxon has to address the need to maintain and enhance New Zealand’s social cohesion
22nd Jan 24, 8:45am
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Independent economist Brian Easton says Christopher Luxon has to address the need to maintain and enhance New Zealand’s social cohesion
Independent economist Brian Easton says the New Zealand economy is struggling and he believes the new government will struggle to implement its economic promises
15th Jan 24, 8:25am
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Independent economist Brian Easton says the New Zealand economy is struggling and he believes the new government will struggle to implement its economic promises