Flowing on from the NPS - NZIER Insight 28
July 22, 2011
The National Policy Statement (NPS) on Freshwater Management is a good first step, but it may leave local authorities in the dark about how to meet its intent. Read more
Is Working for Families working for families? NZIER Insight 27
April 1, 2011
Working for Families (WFF) was introduced between 2004 and 2007 to "make work pay" and ensure income adequacy for families with children. The policy has reduced child poverty, drawn an extra 8,100 sole parents into some paid work, encouraged more of them to work 20 hours or more, and … Read more
90-day trial periods appear successful - NZIER Insight 25
February 2, 2011
The Government has recently announced that it will be extending the policy regarding 90-day trial periods for new workers to all employers, not just those with fewer than 20 employees. NZIER’s preliminary analysis suggests that this extension is likely have a positive impact on employ … Read more
Getting real on a tax-free threshold - NZIER Insight 24
January 28, 2011
Labour's proposed tax-free threshold for the first $5,000 of wages and removing GST from fresh fruit and vegetables will cost around $1.7 billion in the first year. This is to be funded by raising the top tax rate for high income earners. From an economic perspective, these proposals … Read more
Tax relief, but Aussies still earn more - NZIER Insight 18
September 30, 2010
Personal tax cuts from 1 October 2010 will boost take home pay for New Zealand workers. NZIER has updated its personal tax calculators to allow comparison with Australia. New Zealand’s new personal tax regime is less onerous for high income earners than Australia’s. But as Australia’s … Read more
Fix flawed values of statistical life and life years to get better policy outcomes - NZIER Insight 16
June 16, 2010
When taxpayers' money is spent on health and safety measures in transport and healthcare services, the decisions made implicitly or explicitly place values on saving lives and casualties. In recent years there has been a move towards using standard measures of these values so that the … Read more
Most better off under new tax structure - NZIER Insight 13
March 9, 2010
Likely tax changes in the upcoming Budget will leave most households better off. NZIER’s preliminary estimates suggest the median household earning $65,000 a year can be better off by around $12 a week. This is the impact of a likely reduction in personal income tax and increase in GS … Read more
Bolder reforms needed to stop the rot - NZIER Insight 12
January 20, 2010
Anyone who seriously thinks that the Tax Working Group's (TWG) recommendations are radical needs a reality check. The TWG report is a valuable contribution to the economic debate, and deserves a good airing. But if New Zealand is to close the income gap with Australia, we need to do m … Read more
Competition can raise value for public money - NZIER Insight 8
November 26, 2009
The public purse is used to purchase approximately $30 billion dollars of goods and services per year. Now more than ever, the fiscal situation demands central and local government departments spend wisely. One very effective way to ensure value for money in procurement processes is f … Read more
Maximising the value of water - NZIER Insight 4
September 23, 2009
New Zealand policy makers are paying growing attention to the way that water is allocated. As with any scarce resource, there are economic benefits from ensuring that water is distributed optimally across society. This Insight outlines how New Zealand's freshwater resources are curren … Read more