Housing may be top of the pops as an election issue for some, but it's not as many as you might think... and it won't be as easy to fix as you might think
Read MoreAuckland housing
What lies beneath: Another (good) govt u-turn
Bill English wasn't interested in helping with infrastructure a few weeks ago, now National is riding to the rescue. It's a good move, but another sign of a panicked government
Read MorePulling levers, not pulling people down
When it comes to our homelessness crisis, you can come up with constructive ideas or, it seems, you can blame those living in their cars for bringing it on themselves
Read MoreNational stuck in "release land" mantra
National is stuck in the bad old days with its obsession with land supply. Auckland now needs something more, and here's what
Read MoreFrom a small cabin to the big house
How cabins in a Te Atatu garden and a Budget 2016 freeze on schools' operating budget could affect New Zealand's prison population in years to come
Read MoreHousing game-changer: Spreading the blame
Housing remains the government's biggest weakness and so National is redoubling its efforts. No, not to build houses, but to contain the political damage
Read MoreBudget 2017: The Prequel
Bill English's eight budget ticks boxes here and there, but it will be remembered in history for its complacency and the missed opportunities it represents
Read MoreHow Special Housing Areas are failing & the immorality of land bankers
It's time to call out land bankers and require urgent action, because Auckland's lack of houses is driving people in their cars
Read MorePaying the price in Auckland
What's an affordable house worth in Auckland these days? The Prime Minister reckons 'it depends', but actually it doesn't. Plus, his Trade Me slip up
Read MoreNational's Auckland problem -- a tale of two cities
More houses or not more houses, that is the question that's starting to create real tension inside the National Party as one of the government's key economic policies comes under pressure from its own
Read More2015: My year that was
Here's a trawl through the year in politics and what stood out for me
Read MoreBubble, Bubble, Boil and Auckland Housing Trouble.
Treating the Auckland housing bubble as a supply-side problem doesn’t work; neither does blaming some group without a careful analysis of what is happening. What might work?
Read MoreSmith: I can tackle Auckland's housing shortage by 2017
Lots of new houses are being consented in Auckland, but supply is still not keeping up with demand. So why is National so keen to talk about supply?
Read MoreIwi and Auckland housing - the tune is changing
It looks like Nick Smith and the National Government may be doing what they should have done from the outset - talking to Auckland Iwi about how they can be the developers of housing on the Crown's land in Auckland.
Read MoreAnd then another elephant came along
In 2012, the Government promised Auckland Maori that they would have first dibs on any new housing developments on its land. So why aren't they involved at all in Nick Smith's 500 hectare vision?
Read MoreA tangata whenua shaped elephant on the path
The Government's plans to use the Crown's land for houses for Aucklanders face a bit of a problem - it may not be able to sell them the land on which those houses sit.
Read MoreBudget 2015: A clever patch-up job, but stitched together by broken promises
National has reinforced its capacity to surprise, but also its capacity for making things up as it goes along. And to make ends meet, Key and English have done several u-turns
Read MoreThe Budget analysis - before it's even delivered
Here's my take on the Budget... before it comes out.
Read MoreHuffing and puffing at houses: Third term straw
National has done something so that it looks like it's doing something about Auckland housing. But it reeks of third term-itis when you pretend you're fixing a problem when you're merely tinkering
Read MoreHolistic Financial Regulations
While the Reserve Bank may have startled everyone by asking the government to take a fresh look at taxation on investment housing, the recent statement by the Deputy Governor indicates that we are inching towards a more holistic approach to macroeconomic policy.
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