Author: Colin James

It is 10 years from the United States’ revenge invasion of Iraq. Iraq and its surrounds are in turmoil. The region that gave us two big lasting religions is a cauldron of hate and hope.

The United States cast its Iraq invasion not just to search and destroy (non-existent) nuclear weapons but also as a mission to bring democracy to an oppressed people and light the way to democracy for neighbouring states: shades of the medieval crusades to recover Jerusalem from the barbarians; Shades of the nineteenth-century British imperial mission to lead people out of savagery into the promised land of Christian civilisation. read more

We have an extractive economy which depends on commodity exports. That makes the drought a big deal. It makes Solid Energy a big deal — made bigger by a public-private muddle.

The drought is big for farmers. It is big for the rest of us because most exports are of what is extracted from grass grown with rain, from forests, from the sea, from underground and from the landscape, exported as pleasure for tourists. read more

Reserve Bank governor Graeme Wheeler is likely to leave the official cash rate unchanged at 2.5 per cent on Thursday. That is, he will leave it at the emergency level to which it was cut after the February 22 Christchurch earthquake to insure against a plunge in confidence.

Wheeler is in top company. Nearly six years after the United States derivatives market began to tank, bestowing on us the global financial crisis (GFC), big-rich-country central banks are still at battle stations, shovelling out money through “quantitative easing”, holding their official interest rates near zero and jawboning to calm nerves and/or lift spirits. read more

GDP growth is this government’s dominant priority. If polls of consumer confidence, notably Colmar Brunton’s for TV1, are a guide, rank and file voters have cottoned on.

Credit growth is the strongest for nearly four years: 3.8 per cent in the 12 months to January, 0.4 per cent in January alone. That’s the “spend” part of GDP growth. read more

The constitutional advisory panel launches its public “conversation” today. The timing is apposite: the Audit Office last week reminded John Key of the merit of proper process; and the Supreme Court’s delayed ruling on the iwi water claim is imminent.

It comes also against a backdrop of legislation to significantly change the rol of regional and local government. read more

Bill English has set the budget date nice and early — as John Key did the election date in 2011 and is likely to do in 2014. Now are English and Key — and Steven Joyce, who is to make a science speech on Thursday — up to the fiscal science challenge?

That science challenge — not to be confused with the Prime Minister’s science challenge for scientists themselves — is to match richer small-countries’ commitment. Governments here for two decades, including Key’s, have not committed to science the public resources better-performing small countries do. Contrast the European Union’s increase in its science budget this month while cutting its overall budget. read more

Houses are big in 2013 — big in size and way too big in price for too many people. That is the stuff of big politics.

It encapsulates a distinction between politics’ two sides. The government relies on resetting regulation so the market-economy meets the demand, wants builders to lift productivity, says it will “work with” local councils, particularly Auckland, to get more land freed up so it is cheaper and new houses on it are cheaper and wants councils’ regulatory costs to developers and builders cut. read more

Auckland wants to be the world’s “most liveable city” and illustrates that prominently in its plan with a big picture of people ambling on a beach. Wellington airport has been announcing to visitors that they
have arrived at the “Middle of Middle-earth”.

Great images in our two main cities! Are beach lounging and hobbits the essence of our national identity now? read more