Brian Easton: Christmas Briefing Papers

What Was the Prime Minister Reading in the Runup to Election Year?

It’s the summer break. Everyone settles down with family, books, the sun and some fishing. But the Prime Minister has a pile of briefing papers prepared just before Christmas, which have to be worked through. I haven’t seen them. Here is my guess at some of the headline items – in alphabetical order. (The identified ministers are those who were responsible at Christmas.)

Mike Hosking: Low wages won't solve our labour crisis

Beware the wisdom of the academic.

AUT's David Williamson is weighing into the labour shortage debate with the insight only an academic can give; if you can't pay decent wages, don’t be in business.

It dovetails into the Government's view which is broadly the same.

But that has been slammed by most because of the arrogance of commentary and law based on no experience whatsoever.

Richard Epstein: Is Employment a “Human Right”?

Efforts to stamp out so-called discrimination in the labor market will kill jobs and stifle economic growth.

Today’s economic trends are not promising. In the United States, the European community and Japan, the prospect of dismal growth is too often met with desperate measures that only make matters worse. There are endless claims about the failure of austerity to spur growth, and impassioned attacks on the folly of unbridled spending that will drown the nation in debt. What a choice!