Our nearest neighbour, New Caledonia, has a very different political economy. Will it vote for full independence from France in 2018 – also leaving the European Union? New Zealand shares a continent with the European Union. Admittedly 93 percent of Zealandia is submerged beneath the Pacific Ocean but at its most north-western are the islands…
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Too much of pop-economics is misleading to the point close to being lying. No wonder there is a widespread rejection of it by the populace. Journalists and other populisers get away with an economics which does not quite lie, but is often very misleading. This applies to Brexit, but let’s start off with the TPPA…
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It is unclear why anyone is voting for Britain leaving the EU nor, in many cases, why they are voting for remain. What are the possible alternatives? How is Britain or New Zealand to function in an increasingly globalised world. As I put up this column, the Brits are about to vote on Brexit –…
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The short answer is all trade reduces sovereignty to some extent. The TPPA is no exception, but its effect is probably small. Allow that we had to give away something, such as increased copyright extensions, for better access for our exports; the real issue for us in the TPPA is that it reduces ‘sovereignty’. To…
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AUT Briefing Paper February 3, 2016 It is difficult to see any option other than an open economy for New Zealand. But there are many possible open economies although we may not be able to choose some of them. The open economy is an extension of Adam Smith’s principle that specialisation generates higher productivity. That…
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A key issue may not be what is in the TPPA, but that by not adopting it we may ruin the other international agreements we are pursuing. In the 1960s I was an active member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. It was a moral crusade with unrealisable objectives such as withdrawal from SEATO (a…
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Given a long history of numerous trade agreements, why has the public become especially concerned about the TPP? At a recent public meeting, a retired Secretary of Foreign Affairs pointed out that although he had been involved in negotiating many free trade agreements, the TPP was the first one about which the public had showed…
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While TPP – any trade deal – compromises sovereignty it does not mean we cannot respond constructively to unsatisfactory aspects such as those involving intellectual property. The stupidest thing said about the TPP deal – thus far – is the claim that it does not reduce New Zealand’s sovereignty. Of course it does. Agreeing to…
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The more one is certain about the state of an economy, the more one is likely to be wrong; the more one is certain about the state of an economy, the greater the media coverage. No wonder the public is confused. I shan’t add to the confusion. In quick summary, the New Zealand’s economic growth…
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This was an introduction to a presentation by Stephen Jacobi: “TPP – Where to from Here (And How Did We Get Here Anyway)?” To a NZIIA lecture, 2 September 2015. (Some editing) It was suggested I first say a few words about the context in which the TPP and other trade negotiations are occurring. At…
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Trust Us? If you think you know what has been going on with the TPP, you have not been following closely enough. However, here are a few matters for clarification. Trade negotiations used to be like the following. Japan wants better access to the US market for the cars it produces, while the US wants…
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The US senate has given trade promotion authority to the President. What next? Will the TPP agreement be acceptable, and to whom? Unfortunately trade negotiations are riddled with acronyms. I have listed the ones used here at the end of the article. The US Senate has finally passed the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). This is…
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New Zealand International Review, May/June 2015, Vol 40, No 3. There is a bit of a construction shambles around the buildings that house the European Union in Brussels with new buildings, buildings retrofitted for energy efficiency and improvements to the subway and public surrounds. It is not that the activities of the EU are…
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Perhaps New Zealand’s acceptance of the TPPA will depend upon the outcome of the Northland by-election Prime Minister John Key shortened his trip to Japan and Korea in order to spend more time campaigning in the Northland by-election. Domestic affairs trumped international ones – for a short time anyway. He said he was going north…
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As Borders Fall Are Europeans Losing Their Cultural Identity Pundit: 29 December 2014 Keywords: Globalisation & Trade; Aside from the English Channel, Europe has hardly any significant internal natural borders. Seventy years ago the border between Germany and Poland was settled at the Oder River. At its main crossing point it is no wider than…
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The EU remains central to New Zealand’s destiny Pundit: 23 December, 2014. Keywords: Globalisation & Trade; Political Economy & History; Suppose Britain exited the European Union of 28 countries. I am not recommending it; they would probably be worse off economically. Nor am I predicting it, although sometimes politics produces odd outcomes….
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The EU approach in trade deals is likely to protect the right of states to make public policy Pundit: 19 October, 2014. Keywords: Business & Finance; Globalisation & Trade; How can foreign investors in New Zealand be sure that we will treat them fairly? If they are not sure perhaps they…
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Conquest was the old way for countries to acquire resources, but trading is much cheaper. Listener: 12 July, 2014. Keywords: Globalisation & Trade; Political Economy & History; Over the next few years, as we think back to the Great War a century ago, we will be reminded of politics and bungling, heroism…
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Free trade is a fine ideal but comes at the cost of compromised sovereignty. Listener: 13 February, 2014. Keywords: Globalisation & Trade; Once free trade agreements (FTAs) were about reducing tariffs on imports. But it wasn’t long before it became necessary to deal with other means of favouring domestic production: import controls,…
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Asia-Pacific Integration: The Economic and Security Dimensions for New Zealand NZIIA Seminar: Wednesday, 13 November 2013 [1] Keywords: Globalisation & Trade; My theme today is on the impact of economic integration on global security. The thesis may be illustrated by the French political economist and diplomat, Jean Monnet who should have been awarded…
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