Brian Fallow is a former economics editor of The New Zealand Herald
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Brian Fallow: Easing the squeezing for middle earners
National's tax plan would deliver little gain for the people it aims to help.
Brian Fallow: Immigration - how many's a crowd?
Try thinking about how many migrants NZ can absorb, new report urges
Brian Fallow: The message Adrian Orr is sending to business
And the message is: Don't assume you can pass rising costs on to your customers.
Budget 2022: Brian Fallow - Robertson takes foot off accelerator
Government spending will grow more slowly than the economy which has to support it.
Brian Fallow: When to spend and when to save
Grant Robertson defines what 'prudent' means in managing public finances.
Brian Fallow: Who's really to blame for domestic inflation?
Uncontrolled govt spending pushing up prices? The numbers tell another story.
Brian Fallow: Tradies beware - tax change could bite
Suggested change to obscure tax rule could hit many small businesses.
Brian Fallow: Reserve Bank gets down to the brutal business of stamping out inflation
Reserve Bank has opted to turn up the volume in its message to businesses setting prices.
Brian Fallow: Time to turn down the methane tap
New Zealand faces a tricky problem in cutting back emissions from livestock.
Brian Fallow: Manapouri's power best used at home
Why export green hydrogen when NZ electricity can fuel NZ vehicles?
Brian Fallow: Vlad the inflater spreads global pain
Putin's war means higher prices and lower world growth.
Brian Fallow: Deficit - from bad to much worse
OPINION: Covid crisis makes NZ's stockpile of overseas debt grow even larger.
Brian Fallow: Why Christopher Luxon's tax plan misses the mark
Luxon's tax plan won't do much to help the people hit hardest by inflation.
Brian Fallow: Inflation monster tougher to tame
Two key changes mean reining in rising prices will be harder than it was.
Brian Fallow: Economic soft landing tricky to pull off
Central bank sees GDP growth continuing, but that forecast could easily veer off course.
Brian Fallow: Productivity boost needed to lift NZ incomes
NZ's reliance on more workers - and more migrants - isn't boosting real incomes.
Brian Fallow: Wages show symptoms of Covid-19
Lockdowns and supply chain woes have hit productivity, and someone has to pay.
Brian Fallow: Job insurance plan won't come cheap
Scheme could help workers and employers, but there's no denying the added cost.
Brian Fallow: Inflation's 5.9% rise — ugly however you do the numbers
Rising prices are now widespread, affecting most of the things we buy.
Brian Fallow: Why worry about the economy? Let me count the reasons
Inflation, Omicron, climate change -- 2022 already has plenty of threats to growth.
Brian Fallow: Robertson makes a down payment on the climate
Initial $1 billion a year earmarked for climate response fund will have to be much bigger.
Brian Fallow: The man to curb your enthusiasm
Both borrowers and lenders too prone to believe things will be okay, says regulator.
Brian Fallow: Aiming low in climate's fight against farm emissions
Bid to cut agricultural emissions could be left behind by events.
Brian Fallow: Keeping a watching eye on pay rates
Labour market is tight, but Reserve Bank doesn't see signs of a wage/price spiral.
Brian Fallow: Words can't hide climate failure
Promises are fine — but not when the promised action is decades away.
Brian Fallow: Immigration — too much, too fast?
Study aims to find out if pre-Covid influx was a plus or minus for economy.
Brian Fallow: Will increased wealth rub off on spending?
Household wealth has soared, but how much of that rubs off on spending?
Brian Fallow: Nanaia Mahuta is right on water reforms
Good reasons to ignore parochial concerns about so-called 'assets'.
Brian Fallow: Will we COP it in Glasgow?
Climate conference could be risky for New Zealand, if the focus is on methane.
Brian Fallow: Big changes in the way we get around
New climate change document sees scope for cuts in transport emissions.
Brian Fallow: Rate rise ignores dangers that could slow growth
Has the uncertainty that led to a pause in OCR hike seven weeks ago has dissipated?
Brian Fallow: Nightmarish times for first-home dream
OPINION: RBNZ's itchy finger on interest lever adds to anxieties of those trying to own.
Brian Fallow: Law tweak to make sure giants play fair
Sharpening up of Commerce Act a long time coming.
Brian Fallow: Hi ho, hi ho, it's back in gear we'll go
Resilience seen in ANZ survey suggests firms expect another quick rebound.
Brian Fallow: Water reform logic flows one way
It should be clear to councils the status quo is not an option.
Brian Fallow: Plan to reform RMA leaves many unanswered questions
Draft version of new law has business groups worried about obstacles to development.
Brian Fallow: Jobs market showing the signs of strain
Employers need workers, while hundreds of thousands of people want more work.
Brian Fallow: Go easy on the bubble-bursting, Adrian
Latest Covid outbreak is a reminder of how vulnerable the economic recovery really is.
Brian Fallow: Power games prolong climate danger
Electricity companies have a perverse incentive to keep Huntly burning coal.
Brian Fallow: Wartime economy is no time for interest rate rises
The old rules don't apply as long as we're doing battle with Covid-19.
Brian Fallow: Wild swings in the year of Covid
Households' wealth has soared — and so has the level of government debt.
Brian Fallow: IRD goes on a wealth hunt
Critics who raise fears of a so-called 'death tax' are jumping the gun.
Brian Fallow: How far will Reserve Bank go with its big squeeze?
The economy may seem robust but skills shortages and price inflation loom large.
Brian Fallow: Making pensioners poorer isn't a Super idea
Treasury needs better ideas for containing the rising cost of NZ Superannuation.
Brian Fallow: Parochial politics a threat to better management of our water
Government's planned reforms could make up for decades of under-investment.
Brian Fallow: A chance to have your say on immigration
As Kiwis have left, migrants made up the balance - but has NZ got the numbers right?
Brian Fallow: Minimum wage — middling impact
Review finds no clear evidence that rises for lowest-paid workers reduce jobs.
Brian Fallow: Fewer animals - but better animals
Climate Change Commission sees meat and milk output standing still.
Brian Fallow: Giant-sized water bills on the way
Cost of fixing water infrastructure is likely to be even bigger than forecast.
Brian Fallow: Inflation surge? Don't bet on it
There are good reasons to ignore the scaremongering about price rises.
Brian Fallow: Robertson plays it down the middle despite opportunity to invest
Robertson is about midway between the skinflint and the spendthrift ends of the spectrum.
Brian Fallow: What about the workers, Grant?
Labour market isn't all good news — and Government has the means to make it better.
Brian Fallow: Choose your weapons in housing fight
First home buyers face financial risk, but Government's focus is on investors.
Brian Fallow: How far will Robertson move into RBNZ's territory?
Balancing act between bank and Government.
Brian Fallow: Digital skills are essential skills
Lack of digital skills can hold you back on the job - or stop you from getting one.
Brian Fallow: Climate change plan - emissions impossible for farmers?
Agriculture groups say Climate Change Commission too optimistic on potential for cuts.
Brian Fallow: Expect Reserve Bank to keep things loose
With so much uncertainty ahead, now's not time to ease up on stimulatory pedal.
Brian Fallow: Who'll feel the property pinch?
Latest moves to help new buyers could cut house prices, boost rents — or a bit of both.
Brian Fallow: Shooting the property investors' sacred cow
It's better to limit runaway house prices now, before they do even more damage.
Brian Fallow: Covid savages tourism income
Exports of services in the December quarter were only half as much as a year earlier.
Brian Fallow: Jobs bouncing back from Covid? Not so fast
PAYE data suggests employment hasn't recovered as strongly as believed.
Brian Fallow: Cutting farm emissions - without cutting farm output
Fewer animals can produce same amount of product, says Climate Change Commission's plan.
Brian Fallow: Unhappy returns set to remain for hard-hit savers
Got money in bank? Real interest rates are negative — and not likely to get better soon.
Brian Fallow: Housing crisis only adds to inequality
While lower interest rates help homeowners, rising rents just add to pressure on the poor.
Brian Fallow: Debt target? What debt target?
Strict numerical goals are out the window, thanks to Covid.
Brian Fallow: Pragmatic path to cutting carbon
Reaching target will need major investment in renewables.
Brian Fallow: Pressure goes on for water reform
Radical reform is on the agenda, and councils should seize the opportunity.
Brian Fallow: Failure to boost productivity is keeping us poor
NZ's productivity performance has long lagged behind other nations.
Brian Fallow: Covid's clouds look less gloomy
Could we have achieved an economic bounce back at less cost? There's no way to know.
Brian Fallow: A home of your own is a dream worth supporting
What can we do to turn around the plunge in home ownership?
Brian Fallow: Immigration — it's value, not volume
Time to focus on more than just the number of migrants.
Brian Fallow: Spare us the finger-wagging over house prices, Grant Robertson
Minister could have just asked RBNZ about house prices, not made it a public issue.
Brian Fallow: Help the kids, hit the landlords
It makes no sense that property investors can deduct all their interest costs.
Brian Fallow: Biden's plan to beat climate change
Joe Biden's victory could be a turning point for climate, but there are obstacles ahead.
Brian Fallow: When rates are this low, why go lower?
Reserve Bank's plan could do more harm than good.
Brian Fallow: Is Adrian Orr about to pull the LVR trigger?
Soaring property market could encourage Reserve Bank to reimpose loan-to-value limits.
Brian Fallow: Small steps beat radical change in Labour's plan for the future
Ardern has made it clear that she's steering for the middle of the road.
Brian Fallow: Govt debt? Worry about something else
Health and superannuation costs are bigger issues.