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Latest FromBrian Fallow

Methane emissions from livestock may need different treatment than carbon dioxide. Photo / NZME File

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Carbon cuts we can bank on

15 Jun, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

Setting goals, removing politics — Zero Carbon Bill is like the Reserve Bank Act.

Sir Michael Cullen is chairman of the Tax Working Group. Photo / Doug Sherring

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Who said tax was meant to be fair?

8 Jun, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: Tax Working Group has been told to aim for fairness - a near-impossible task

Cleaning up after flooding in Edgecumbe last year. Even a small rise in sea levels is likely to make big floods much more likely. Photo / Alan Gibson

BUSINESS

Property values at risk as climate changes

1 Jun, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

Rising seas will mean lower prices and more costly insurance for some sites.

An oil field in Iraq. Cutting off fuel supplies is just one of the risks if the dispute with the US deepens. Photo / AP

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Budget buffer could come in handy

25 May, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Calls for more spending ignore global risks.

Government has delivered extra spending, without breaking the rules of the Budget game. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Budget scrum an even contest

18 May, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Govt has delivered extra spending, without breaking the rules of the Budget game.

71 per cent of the working-age population have a job, or are actively looking for one. Photo / 123RF

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Looking for the job limit

11 May, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

Long-term, employment is about as high as it can go.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson shows no sign of abandoning his self-imposed debt limit. Photo / Greg Bowker

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Debt - don't dig deeper

4 May, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

Govt could borrow more — but there are good reasons why it shouldn't.

An expansion of forestry could see New Zealand reduce its emissions. Picture / NZME

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Cut carbon emissions? Yes we can

27 Apr, 2018 5:30am
6 minutes to read

NZ can make big reductions in greenhouse gases.

It costs many millions of dollars to drill exploration wells and the odds of a strike are 10 to 15 per cent.

BUSINESS

Fallow: Labour's oil ban a pointless, self-righteous policy

19 Apr, 2018 7:52pm
6 minutes to read

Move will be costly and do nothing for the climate.

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Why the long faces from business?

13 Apr, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

Is the slump in business confidence just sulking, or a sign of something deeper?

Workers strike in Auckland in the late 1970s. In terms of their income share, it's been downhill since then. Picture, NZME file

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: What about the workers' share?

6 Apr, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

For decades, wage and salary earners have been getting a smaller bite of the economic pie

Grant Robertson (L) and Adrian Orr sign the new Policy Targets Agreement. Picture, Mark Mitchell

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Interest rate change? Not really

3 Apr, 2018 9:19am
6 minutes to read

New targets will probably make no difference to the Reserve Bank's interest rate calls.

For 30 years since Sir Roger Douglas' reforms, long-term savers have faced a heavy burden. Picture / Herald file

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Tax sends the wrong message on saving

23 Mar, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

Maybe it's not tax on real estate that is the problem.

BUSINESS

How Trump could boost your mortgage rate

16 Mar, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

No one stands to gain from a tit-for-tat trade war.

The Government aims to have a Zero Carbon Act passed and an independent and expert Climate Commission established by the middle of next year. Picture / NZME

BUSINESS

Putting NZ on the path to zero carbon

9 Mar, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

Planned law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will have widespread economic impact.

The rest of the country can manage to build housing for the rapidly growing population, so why can't Auckland? Photo / 123RF

BUSINESS

Why can't Auckland build enough homes?

2 Mar, 2018 3:00pm
6 minutes to read

The rest of the country can manage to build housing for the rapidly growing population.

A study of firms has found big gaps between the best performers and the average. Photo / 123RF

BUSINESS

Fallow: Many firms failing to catch the leader

23 Feb, 2018 6:00am
5 minutes to read

Learning new tricks often tough for companies.

Fewer elderly people own their homes, and that's a recipe for poverty among the over-65s. Photo / 123RF

BUSINESS

Retired & renting - the trend isn't comforting

16 Feb, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

Fewer elderly people own their homes, and that's a recipe for poverty among the over-65s.

The fundamental picture is a world economy that is firing on all cylinders. Photo / AP

BUSINESS

Fallow: Meanwhile, away from the markets

9 Feb, 2018 6:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: While share prices plunged, the real economy is in rare good health.

Current emissions trading rules have distorted decisions on land use. Picture / NZME File

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Shaw's bid to combat climate change

2 Feb, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

Law to cut emissions is ambitious, but it's just part of minister's workload.

Then-PM John Key celebrates the ministerial signing of the TPP deal in 2016. Photo / Nick Reed

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: NZ takes the right trade path

26 Jan, 2018 6:00am
6 minutes to read

Gains tough to measure, but deal better than protectionism

Growth has slowed, but economic activity is still above the long-term average. Picture, Nick Reed

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Why the long faces about the economy?

19 Jan, 2018 5:00am
6 minutes to read

A sharp fall in business confidence is out of line with the economic indicators

More than 4 million US families lost their homes to foreclosure amid the GFC. Picture / 123RF

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: How to beat the next property crash

15 Dec, 2017 4:00pm
5 minutes to read

Changing the way home loans work could rein in property's ups and downs, say authors.

Prices are stable and there are plenty of bargains - thanks largely to China and technology. Picture, Michael Craig

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Where did inflation go?

8 Dec, 2017 6:00am
6 minutes to read

Prices aren't rising much, but there's no need for the Reserve Bank to step on the gas.

Let's hope Sir Michael Cullen and his tax review group take a wide view. Picture, Doug Sherring

BUSINESS

Let's get tax right this time

1 Dec, 2017 6:00am
5 minutes to read

Cullen taxation inquiry could suggest changes to make Kiwis save more, borrow less

If farming doesn't pay for its emissions, the rest of us will have to. File picture, Brett Phibbs

BUSINESS

What makes farming so special?

24 Nov, 2017 6:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: In fighting emissions, should agriculture get a better deal than others?

The Reserve Bank can work with two targets - inflation and employment - says governor Grant Spencer. Photo / Mark Mitchell

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Nothing radical, we're the RBNZ

17 Nov, 2017 7:13am
6 minutes to read

Reserve Bank doesn't expect review to drive major change in what it does.

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Why the long faces about the economy?

10 Nov, 2017 7:40am
5 minutes to read

Gloom in the latest surveys doesn't reflect the positive outlook.

The labour market is tight, with more companies reporting that it's tough to find staff. File picture, Northern Advocate

BUSINESS

Maybe, just maybe, higher wages ahead

3 Nov, 2017 5:00am
5 minutes to read

Pay barely kept up with inflation in the latest figures.

Presenter Mike Hosking chairs the TVNZ leaders debate between Labour Leader Jacinda Ardern (L) and Prime Minister Bill English (R). Photo / Getty

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Keeping the politicians honest

20 Oct, 2017 5:00am
6 minutes to read

Knowing how to vote would be easier if we had reliable guidance on the cost of policies.

Strong winds and a high tide flood Auckland's Tamaki Drive. File picture, Brett Phibs

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Rising sea level will cost us all

13 Oct, 2017 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: As the waters rise, local government can't be left to shoulder the cost.

The hikoi from the anti-TPP protest in Auckland arriving at Te Tii Marae, Waitangi on 5 February 2016. Photo / Michael Craig

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Reviving the TPP

6 Oct, 2017 6:00am
5 minutes to read

Will 11 nations push on with a deal next month, now that the US has pulled out?

One area where Winston Peters and Labour see eye to eye is on foreigners buying NZ farmland. Picture / Nick Reed

BUSINESS

Looking for common ground with Winston

29 Sep, 2017 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Big parties might accept some NZ First policies - but not a new Reserve Bank Act

BUSINESS

How are we doing? Ask the numbers

22 Sep, 2017 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Are the economic statistics strong enough to give National another term?

Finance Minister Steven Joyce and Labour MP Grant Robertson. Both are likely to have to negotiate with coalition or support parties. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Crunch time for Budget numbers

16 Sep, 2017 3:27pm
5 minutes to read

Parties' expected surpluses much the same - but health is a key difference.

Under the Greens' policy, farmers would face a carbon charge, but could plant trees to offset the cost.

BUSINESS

Two tracks to lower emissions

15 Sep, 2017 5:00am
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: Labour and the Greens offer different ways to put a price on carbon.

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Home building hits a roadblock

8 Sep, 2017 6:00am
5 minutes to read

Immigration isn't doing much to lift the supply of skilled construction workers.

Political parties' spending plans aren't as far apart as they like to make out, Brian Fallow writes.

BUSINESS

National Scrooge v Labour spendthrift? No, not really

1 Sep, 2017 6:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Political parties' spending plans aren't as far apart as they like to make out.

Forecast operating surpluses will be spent on infrastructure, says Steven Joyce. Picture / Michael Craig

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Squeezing the spending options

25 Aug, 2017 6:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: No extra for a lolly scramble, say forecasts.

Even in dry areas, dairy farms don't rely entirely on irrigation.

BUSINESS

Charge for water? There's nothing wet about it

18 Aug, 2017 6:00am
5 minutes to read

Labour's vagueness hasn't helped, but water policy's impact has been overstated.

Prime Minister Bill English, right, and Finance Minister Steven Joyce, announcing the government is to raise the age for national superannuation to 67 by 2040. Photo / Mark Mitchell

BUSINESS

Something is missing in Govt success story

11 Aug, 2017 6:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Conditions are strong, so why are real wages falling?

There are 140,000 children living in homes that have a major problem with heating.

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Crying out for warmer rentals

4 Aug, 2017 6:00am
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: Are the rules on rental housing inadequate, or just not being enforced?

BUSINESS

Govt's carbon policy? We're thinking about it

28 Jul, 2017 6:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Latest announcement provides little clarity for the environment or for business.

NZ isn't as deep in overseas debt as it once was. Picture / 123RF

BUSINESS

NZ's debt: Better, but we're not home & dry

21 Jul, 2017 6:00am
6 minutes to read

Overseas debt is better than it was, but the numbers still aren't great.

Spending plans show clear difference between Labour and National. Photo / Mark Mitchell

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Tax cuts or social spending?

14 Jul, 2017 6:19am
6 minutes to read

Comment: Spending plans show clear difference between Labour and National.

Real wage growth has been sluggish, to say the least. Picture / Stuart Munro

BUSINESS

What's wrong with giving the workers a fair go?

6 Jul, 2017 4:00pm
5 minutes to read

Employers should remember: better-paid workers make better customers too.

86,000 15- to 24-year-olds aren't in employment, education or training. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Easing welfare's lifetime burden

30 Jun, 2017 6:47am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Big data on benefits could save taxpayers' money - and do some good too.

Productivity is lousy, but Govt isn't much interested in suggestions for change, Brian Fallow writes.

BUSINESS

Facing the thing that's holding NZ back

23 Jun, 2017 7:23am
5 minutes to read

Productivity is lousy, but Govt isn't much interested in suggestions for change.

BUSINESS

Mortgage limits: Nanny state or good sense?

16 Jun, 2017 6:00am
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: Reserve Bank worries about wider impact if too many borrowers are struggling.

Nothing President Trump does can change the laws of nature. Picture / AP

BUSINESS

Never mind Trump, NZ climate effort needs work

9 Jun, 2017 6:00am
6 minutes to read

Emissions trading scheme isn't fit for purpose.

Steven Joyce has hardly thrown fiscal caution to the winds, Brian Fallow writes. Photo / Mark Mitchell

BUSINESS

The better than nothing Budget

25 May, 2017 2:39pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Steven Joyce has hardly thrown fiscal caution to the winds, Brian Fallow writes.

By removing one of the tax benefits of property investment, it ought to reduce the price, Brian Fallow writes. Photo / Doug Sherring

BUSINESS

Shelter is for people, not tax

19 May, 2017 6:20am
6 minutes to read

Fallow: More than 90,000 landlords have invested in businesses that are running at a loss.

One in six people aged 65-plus don't own their home, and that's likely to rise. Photo / Getty Images

BUSINESS

Retired and still renting - our future?

12 May, 2017 6:14am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: One in six people aged 65-plus don't own their home, and that's likely to rise.

There's nothing magic about the Government's debt target, says CTU economist Bill Rosenberg. Photo / NZME

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Govt's debt sights set too low?

5 May, 2017 5:00am
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: New limit will curb future social spending.

Thermal generation should be phased out by 2030, except as a backup, say the Greens. Picture / Greg Bowker

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Greens' plan for power

28 Apr, 2017 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: More renewables, winter energy subsidy feature in party's electricity policy.

Instead of taxing housing harder, why not change the tax on retirement savings? Photo / Doug Sherring

BUSINESS

Time to drop the tax experiment?

21 Apr, 2017 6:49am
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: Instead of taxing housing harder, why not change the tax on retirement savings?

Under Labour's plan, Reserve Bank governors won't have Graeme Wheeler's sole responsibility for interest rate decisions. Picture / Mark Mitchell

BUSINESS

Fiddling with interest rates

13 Apr, 2017 6:14am
6 minutes to read

Labour's plan to reform monetary policy is more modest than it looks.

With so many potential workers already employed, NZ needs other ways to lift output. Picture / NZME

BUSINESS

Time to get out and invest

7 Apr, 2017 6:00am
5 minutes to read

Businesses say they plan to invest more, but are they doing as they say?

For transport alone, Auckland faces a $12b funding gap over the next 30 years. Picture / Dean Purcell

Who'll pay the price of Auckland's growth?

31 Mar, 2017 6:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: New ways are needed to help councils bear cost of vital infrastructure.

Cattle numbers would need to fall, says consultant's report. Photo / Brendon O'Hagan

BUSINESS

Cut the livestock, grow more trees

24 Mar, 2017 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Report points to a big change in the way we use the land.

Families with a child under three would get $200 a week under the Opportunities Party's policy. Picture / 123RF

BUSINESS

More for kids, less for the elderly

17 Mar, 2017 6:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Gareth Morgan's Opportunities Party has some radical ideas for tax and benefits, Brian Fallow writes.

New Finance Minister Steven Joyce speaking to media at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

BUSINESS

Brian Fallow: Super changes too little, too late

10 Mar, 2017 6:55pm
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: Proposed reforms will only nibble at the cost of taxpayer-funded pensions, says Brian Fallow.