Eric Crampton: Grant Robertson is to blame for the end of the productivity commission

The New Zealand Productivity Commission was borne of the 2008 coalition agreement between National and Act. And it was ended by the 2023 coalition agreement between the same two parties.

As former Productivity Commission economist Dave Heatley put it, on the New Zealand Economics Association’s Asymmetric Information blog, “How ironic is that?”

The past few years at the Commission, and its ultimate ending, aren’t just about the Commission. The episode raises broader questions about conventions in public sector appointments, about public service neutrality, and about the path the incoming Coalition government might take.

Brian Easton: Making The New Zealand Economy More Resilient To Shocks

Reflections on a report I wrote for the New Zealand Productivity Commission

The Government has asked the New Zealand Productivity Commission (NZPC) to enquire into the resilience of the New Zealand economy to supply-chain disruptions. It wants to identify policies and interventions that can enhance the robustness of New Zealand’s economy and living standards to medium-term disruptions.