Sad

Emily Brookes' piece on the tragic Carla Neems case lets Nathan Wallis wander all over the place, including here:

Wallis stressed that no blame should be placed on Neems' parents for her death - "the last thing they need is a bloody coroner's report saying it was kind of their fault" -   and said they were victims of a society "that doesn't value children very much and is all run by the Business Round Table."

"We've created an economic situation where it's impossible to buy a house in New Zealand without having two parents go to work," he said. "Then how on earth are we expected to have someone there to walk (kids) to school every morning and pick them up every afternoon? It's an impossible situation for people."

I didn't know Roger Kerr well; he was the Business Roundtable. I met him once or twice, and had email correspondence a half-dozen times. He taught me to write my first OIA request, back when I was an academic.

But I do know that one of his last submissions, if not his last submission, before he died in October of 2011 was to the Productivity Commission's inquiry on housing costs, in August 2011. He would have been near the end of his battle with melanoma.

He there stressed the importance of getting the regulatory settings right so that more housing could be built, because housing affordability matters.

The emphasis on fixing housing has continued with the New Zealand Initiative, successor organisation to both the former Institute and the former Roundtable.

A clearer-thinking Wallis might have wished that the Business Roundtable's warnings on zoning and urban planning impediments to housing affordability, way back in 2011, had been paid some heed.

It's a pretty sad article all 'round.

Wellington-bound

I am very pleased to announce that I'm moving to Wellington to serve as Head of Research for the New Zealand Initiative. I'll begin there in August, with precise timing depending on our sorting out moving from Christchurch.

I'm really looking forward to working with the team there. In addition to the great set of projects they have lined up, I'll have scope to help shape future research. Loyal readers at Offsetting may see some minor interruptions in service while we move house, but blogging will continue - this time as part of the job description.

I'll miss my friends in Christchurch and the Department here terribly. But some opportunities are too good to miss.

The New Zealand Initiative is the successor organisation to the New Zealand Business Roundtable, Roger Kerr's think-tank, and the New Zealand Institute, David Skilling's. It's going to be a lot of fun. And, I hope I'll there be able to do just a bit more to help keep New Zealand the best place in the world to live.

Here's the NZI press release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 19 May 2014 MEDIA RELEASE The New Zealand Initiative names Dr Eric Crampton as new Head of Research Dr Crampton’s international academic experience will grow the Initiative’s reputation as New Zealand’s leading business think tank Wellington (May 19) –  The New Zealand Initiative today announced that Dr Eric Crampton has been appointed as its new Head of Research. Dr Crampton, a senior lecturer at the University of Canterbury and author of the popular economics blog Offsetting Behaviour, will take up his new position in August. Dr Crampton will lead the Initiative’s research team to develop recommendations for New Zealand’s most pressing public policy questions. The Initiative’s Executive Director Dr Oliver Hartwich said: “We are delighted to have secured Dr Crampton for this new role. His economic expertise, his international experience and his ability to effectively communicate complex ideas will help to grow The New Zealand Initiative’s output and influence.” Dr Crampton is a Canadian-born economist, who obtained his Ph.D. at George Mason University (Fairfax, VA) under Professor Tyler Cowen. He was a visiting fellow at ZEI at Bonn University (Germany), and has been a lecturer and senior lecturer at Canterbury University since 2003. Dr Crampton’s work and publications have covered a wide range of public policy topics, including public health, competition law, and the analysis of political systems. His blog Offsetting Behaviour is among New Zealand’s top-20 blogs and recommended by the American Economics Association in their ‘Resources for Economists’ list. He also edits The Dismal Science for The Royal Society’s SciBlogs initiative. Dr Crampton’s appointment underlines The New Zealand Initiative’s goal to be the country’s leading evidence-based public policy think tank. Dr Hartwich said: “The New Zealand Initiative is all about developing robust and fresh ideas to make New Zealand a better country. Dr Crampton shares this vision and we look forward to his contributions to public policy debates.” About the New Zealand Initiative The New Zealand Initiative is an evidence-based think tank and research institute, which is supported by a membership organisation that counts some of the country’s leading visionaries, business leaders and political thinkers among its ranks. Our members are committed to developing policies to make New Zealand a better country for all its citizens. We believe all New Zealanders deserve a world-class education system, affordable housing, a healthy environment, sound public finances and a stable currency. The New Zealand Initiative pursues this goal by producing well-researched reports and hosting high level conferences and events. For more information visit www.nzinitiative.org.nz. For more information contact: Ben England Communications Officer The New Zealand Initiative Ph +64 4 494 9109 ben.england@nzinitiative.org.nz

Update: Here's Nevil Gibson on the move.

And some of my favourite tweets:

NZ Doge denies allegation that @EricCrampton is moving to Wellington to be advisor on the #economicupdoge #nzpol

— NZ Doge Party (@nzdogeparty) May 18, 2014

@EricCrampton @nzinitiative Congratulations Eric, the Wellington Wonk community will be very happy to have you!

— McCluskey. (@JordanMcCluskey) May 19, 2014

@EricCrampton @nzinitiative Is the conclusion of your research going to be: "Smaller Government"? #spoileralert

— Keith Ng (@keith_ng) May 19, 2014

@EricCrampton it was because of the Ethiopian food, wasn't it? @nzinitiative

— Graeme Edgeler (@GraemeEdgeler) May 19, 2014

@EricCrampton @nzinitiative Congrats! Would be fun to come talk about NZ religion trends in global context one day.

— Conrad Hackett (@conradhackett) May 19, 2014

.@EricCrampton My official reaction: What a monumental loss for the university, which did not know how to deal with your talent. #FFS!

— Luis A. Apiolaza (@zentree) May 19, 2014

@EricCrampton Congratulations, Eric. We'll miss you here!

— CherylBernstein (@CherylBernstein) May 19, 2014

.@nzinitiative's win is our loss. @EricCrampton is the closest thing to a public intellectual for Canterbury. Damn you Eric.

— Luis A. Apiolaza (@zentree) May 19, 2014

@zentree @EricCrampton More important still: is the craft beer scene in Wellington better than Christchurch?Was that a factor in your shift?

— sHr0oMaN (@sHr0oMaN) May 19, 2014

Bam. Excellent! @EricCrampton http://t.co/NrDWd7Zdd7

— Jim Savage (@khakieconomist) May 19, 2014

@EricCrampton Congratulations Eric, a loss to our university though!

— Matt Scobie (@MatthewRScobie) May 19, 2014

@EricCrampton Brilliant news - and a great coup for @nzinitiative. Congrats, both!

— Mike Heine (@TheHeindog) May 19, 2014

@EricCrampton @nzinitiative Congrats to you and NZI on an outstanding appointment.

— Stephen Kirchner (@insteconomics) May 19, 2014

@EricCrampton @nzinitiative Great move Eric - I look forward to seeing the fruits of this initiative!

— John Small (@smalltorquer) May 19, 2014

Best wishes for the shift, @EricCrampton. Be sure to keep a look out for Bryce Wilkinson. He's a bit of trouble, that one.@nzinitiative

— Mike Wilkinson (@MikeWilkNZ) May 19, 2014

.@nzinitiative lucky to get someone of your calibre, @EricCrampton. Hope you don't stop debunking the alcohol numbers foaming out of Otago.

— Nicola Rowe (@nz_nicola) May 19, 2014

I'm sure I'm not the only person who thinks @nzinitiative's hiring of @EricCrampton is a big step forward for public policy debate in NZ!

— TVHE (@TVHE) May 19, 2014

Congrats @EricCrampton on the outstanding new opportunity. Wellington has the highest mean coffee quality in the country.

— Scott Brooker (@srbrooker) May 19, 2014

The New Zealand Initiative

New Zealand has suffered from a lack of a rich think tank environment. That looks like it's about to change. The New Zealand Business Roundtable's merger with the New Zealand Institute has been in the works for a while, but now we know what the new organization will look like. Oliver is a great guy; I expect really good things from the New Zealand Initiative.

Here's the Press release. It is going to be great having Oliver back from the East Island.

---

Embargoed to 6.00pm Tuesday 3 April 2012

A Name to Start New Conversations

A new independent, non-partisan public policy think tank was launched today by Business Roundtable chair Roger Partridge and New Zealand Institute chair Tony Carter, following the merger of the two organisations on 1 April.

The new think tank has been named The New Zealand Initiative. It will build on the legacies of its two founding organisations and will focus on raising debate on public policy and contributing bold, rigorously-researched ideas to achieve a more prosperous future for New Zealand.

Roger Partridge and Tony Carter, who will co-chair the new organisation, also today announced the appointment of Dr Oliver Hartwich as executive director.

Dr Hartwich is a German-born economist and former chief economist of the highly-regarded British think tank Policy Exchange.  His work and publications have covered a wide range of public policy topics, including housing affordability, transport, local government, infrastructure, welfare reform and global economic issues.

Dr Hartwich is currently Research Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney, and writes, among other things, a weekly column for the Australian Business Spectator.  He has been a frequent guest commentator on television and radio programmes in Australia and the UK, and his articles have been published by all the major newspapers in Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand.

Tony Carter said the joint member steering group that managed the international search process was delighted with the appointment.

“Oliver will bring a fresh face and style to the role, and an international reputation as a very sound and intellectually rigorous thinker and a strong communicator. We are very fortunate to have secured someone of such calibre.”

Dr Hartwich will take up his position on 1 May.

The New Zealand Initiative is supported by a foundation membership of major company chief executives.

Roger Partridge said the process of bringing the two organisations together had been very cordial and straightforward. Both had recognised that the New Zealand market was not big enough for two independent CEO think tanks and could see that by joining forces they could be much more effective.

“We found we had a strong sense of common purpose. We want to help shape the landscape and start a national conversation on ideas that have intellectual integrity and rigour and the potential for profound, positive long-term impact on the well-being of New Zealand”, said Mr Partridge.

A web page about the New Zealand Initiative will go live on Wednesday evening at nzinitiative.org.nz.

ENDS

For further information, contact:

Roger Partridge                                                                 Tony Carter

Co-Chairman                                                                   Co-Chairman

Phone 021 660 965                                                           Phone 021 358 326

Email roger.partridge@bellgully.com                                  Email tony@lil.co.nz

NZBR Blog

I miss Roger Kerr's blog.

The New Zealand Business Roundtable has resumed blogging, though, at Policy Matters.

Roger Partridge points to some of the NZBR's resources on school choice and to a 2006 report by Caroline Hoxby for the New Zealand Education Forum.

Great to see the NZBR back to blogging; I've added Policy Matters to my RSS feed.