Issue 32 July 2010
Breaking the Bank
Since the recent economic downturn, many New Zealanders who've sought to refinance their mortgage or sell their house have been unpleasantly surprised to find that breaking the fixed term of the mortgage loan could cost them tens of thousands of dollars. But, while refinancing's become a gamble, it may sometimes be possible to beat the bank - or at least break even. Toby Daglish and Nimesh Patel investigate.
Regulatory Restrictions Down On The Farm
Intense public concern over the nationality of potential purchasers of the 22 North Island dairy farms being offered for sale by the Crafar family's receivers has placed the Overseas Investment Act 2005 at centre stage. Dave Heatley and Bronwyn Howell observe, however, that farm ownership restrictions are not new to New Zealand.
'Cottoning On' to the competitive consequences of genetic modification
Arguments around the development of genetically modified plants and seeds tend to focus on the creation of potentially harmful 'frankenfoods'. Kyle Stiegert asks whether the resulting concentration of market power in multinational bio-tech firms poses a more tangible risk.
Author:
Kyle Stiegert
Regression ... towards poor evidence-based policy?
Inadequate understanding of the limitations of regression models may result in poor broadband policy decisions. Bronwyn Howell illustrates how.
Competition for New Zealand's Donor Dollars
New Zealand has a large number of registered charities (more than 24,000 at last count) that were formed to support a diverse range of causes and beneficiaries. Charities compete actively with each other - and this competition is becoming increasingly international in nature, with a surprising number (3358) of New Zealand's registered charities working internationally. Carolyn Cordery, David Sutton and Rachel Baskerville describe how increased and international competition for the donor dollar affected one large New Zealand charity.
Author:
Carolyn Cordery
Level crossing: collision ahead?
Has two years back in state ownership made it any more likely that our rail industry will be better governed or more economically self-sustaining than indicated by ISCR's 2009 stocktake? Dave Heatley suggests that - despite government cash injections - there are a few obstacles that could derail progress.
