Latest Posts

Greens wealth tax

Opinion by Max Rashbrooke on June 30, 2020

The Green Party have just announced a wealth tax – 1% annually on net worth above $1 million, and 2% above $2 million – as part of their Poverty Action Plan. I’m very pleased to see this tax announced, as it follows substantially the recommendations made in my paper earlier this year for Tax Justice…

Budget openness survey has mixed news for NZ

Opinion by Max Rashbrooke on May 25, 2020

Earlier this month the results of the latest Open Budget Survey were released – and they make mixed reading for New Zealand, despite our high overall score. The Open Budget Survey is one of those classic international comparison tools, in which independent observers run the rule over a country’s practices in a particular area –…

Building a bridge across the coronavirus ravine

Opinion by Max Rashbrooke on April 24, 2020

Yesterday I had the pleasure of appearing in front of the Epidemic Response Committee in a session about the potential economic and social shape of the recovery from coronavirus. My fellow speakers were Rod Drury, Traci Houpapa, Ian Proudfoot, Oliver Hartwich and Ayesha Verrall. The video of the session is here; below is a version,…

Talks and debates
worth going to

august, 2020

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119 Cuba Street

11aug

Guaranteed minimum income vs universal basic income

Event Details

What is a universal basic income (UBI)? And what would it mean for me? And why do Barack Obama, Elon Musk, and the Pope like [...]

Event Details

What is a universal basic income (UBI)? And what would it mean for me? And why do Barack Obama, Elon Musk, and the Pope like it so much?

Get ready for one of the most exciting policy debates of the 2020 Election season:

Geoff Simmons, former Treasury economist and current leader of the Opportunities Party (TOP) vs. Max Rashbrooke, 2020 J. D. Stout fellow and senior associate at the Institute for Governance and Policy at VUW.

This is one for your policy nerd friends, economics wizards, up-and-coming political bloggers, and anyone who reckons $250 per week, no strings attached, sounds choice. Have a read of TOP’s fully-costed UBI policy here, and be ready with some hot questions for our speakers. We’re excited to host this event JJ Murphy’s on August 11th at 6pm.

Time

(Tuesday) 6:00 pm

Location

J. J. Murphy's

119 Cuba Street

Organizer

The Opportunities Party

Guildford Terrace, Wellington

13aug

Fabians - 2020 Election Prospects and Beyond

Event Details

In a little over six weeks' time we will learn the shape of the new government which will guide Aotearoa for the next three years. Advance voting starts on September [...]

Event Details

In a little over six weeks’ time we will learn the shape of the new government which will guide Aotearoa for the next three years. Advance voting starts on September 5. Laura Rapira and Clint Smith will discuss how they see the election playing out and what they see as the key issues for our next government at 5:30pm on Thursday August 13 at Connolly Hall, Guildford Terrace, Wellington.

Laura O’Connell Rapira is the Director of ActionStation, an independent, crowdfunded community campaigning organisation representing over 100,000 New Zealanders. She is a Trustee with The Workshop, and serves on the Board of JustSpeak, a youth-powered organisation working to transform our justice system.

Clint Smith is director of Victor Strategy and Communications, and a former senior adviser to the Labour and Green parties.

Time

(Thursday) 5:30 pm

Location

Connolly Hall

Guildford Terrace, Wellington

Organizer

Fabian Society