SQ Transp 2048

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  • Human Rights, Environment Obligations, and Ethical Investment: Aotearoa New Zealand is Going Down the Wrong Path

     Dr Robert Howell

    1 Introduction and Summary

    A considerable portion of the world’s investments are unethical in that they have inadequate regard for the welfare of people and/or the planet. They invest in companies that abuse workers’ or other stakeholders rights.  Their activities destroy our environment.  Very few companies are fully fossil-free, or operate within ecological boundaries.  One of the reasons for this is that the term ethical investing is defined by such unvalidated concepts as ESG, or responsible.

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  • Should the Reserve Bank target unemployment as well as inflation? Will the new government abolish the dual mandate?

    Back in 1989 – near the end of the fourth Labour government – the inflation-busting Reserve Bank Act was passed. Labour has shifted well away from the Rogernomics of that decade, and in 2021 Grant Robertson added maximum sustainable employment to the bank’s mandate - with the support of coalition partner NZ First.

    Our Reserve Bank joined a powerful grouping of central banks that have dual targets, including the US Federal Reserve, the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England and the European Central Bank.

    Going into the 2023 election, National and Act committed to a return to the 1989 objective. Will they take us out of the mainstream and into a straitjacket rather than a life-jacket?  And how does it square with their stated aim of getting people off the dole and back to work?

    Coverage can be found here

  • The next three years – the job ahead for Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori

    The Fabians had a session on Nov 14th reflecting on the elections. Our panel of Simon Wilson, Senior Writer at NZ Herald, Bridie Witton, Stuff Press Gallery Reporter and Ollie Neas, freelance writer used the election results as a springboard to target some of the key issues for Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori as they head into opposition.

    Coverage can be found here

  • Rob Campbell on Pae Ora Health Reforms

    Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the Pae Ora health reforms with you.

    Since I was sacked by the Health Minister I have taken time to reflect on the experience and to make a considered assessment of what I learned in the process. My intention tonight is to share that with you, making the assumption that we share common ground in wanting to have an effective, efficient, excellent and equitable public health service.

    If anyone does not want that, I don’t really have anything useful to share with you.

    Read more …

Peter Fraser - The Economics of Water Storage - March 2020

Peter Fraser discusses "The Economic Justification of Infrastructure Projects as an aid to prioritising them in the National interest” – with some emphasis on the experience with some irrigation and roading projects, and business cases’ Peter Fraser "Guerrilla Economist” is currently Senior Associate at Institute for Governance and Policy Studies. His iwi affiliation is to Ngāti Hauiti ki Rangitikei. Over the past 10 yrs his work has focussed on agricultural economics, particularly regarding the dairy industry. He recently completed an independent economic analysis of the Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme (proposed for the Central Hawkes' Bay) and other potential water storage projects in the Wairarapa. He also did an analysis the Waimea Community Irrigation Scheme. He is a Principal Advisor at the Earthquake Commission (EQC). He also worked in the Dept. of Labour, the Dept. of Building and Housing, MAF Policy (2007-2010 – dairy industry issues & Fonterra capital structure), Treasury (1997-2000, 2002-2007 – health policy, natural resources). Peter is Chair of Whakauae Research Services (NZ's only iwi owned and mandated public health research provider) and Deputy Chair of the Pacific People's Wellbeing Trust.