Save now, prosper later : Increasing New Zealand’s savings rate - a preliminary dynamic CGE analysis

New Zealand, savings rate

A Hybrid Discussion of Multiliteracy and Identity Politics

Much discussion has taken place in composition and writing center studies regarding “multi-”s: multimedia, multiliteracy, multimodality, even multiwriting. The “multi-” that has received the most attention in writing center studies specifically is multiliteracy. This attention has manifested in some scholars calling for the writing center’s evolution to a multiliteracy center, or MLC (Trimbur; Sheridan, “Introduction”; Sheridan, “Words, Images, Sounds”; McKinney; Balester et al.). This call is contemporaneous with but virtually distinct from another important discussion in writing center studies. I am talking here about the politics of identity. The major questions in this discussion have been: What are the ways we can put into pedagogical practice a theory of identity that is based on discursive practices and intersectionality as opposed to one based on fixed, isolated definitions? Additionally, how can we ensure that this kind of pedagogy provides the grounds for subverting and resisting hegemonic discourses (Cooper; Bawarshi and Pelkowski; Grimm; Denny, “Queering the Writing Center”; Denny, Facing the Center)? While I do not propose here a comprehensive cultural studies pedagogy nor a comprehensive multiliteracy pedagogy, I do see an opportunity for consultant training in making these discussions talk to one another.University Writing Cente

Lifting export performance. Actions to drive growth in exports

This report aims to provide an independent view on options for New Zealand firms, business organisations and government to boost export growth

Tariffs in New Zealand : The economic impacts of retaining tariffs in New Zealand A dynamic CGE analysis

The government announced in late 2009 that it would freeze tariffs at current levels until 2015 at the earliest. We examine the potential costs and benefits to the New Zealand economy of this policy decision using a recently-developed dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of the New Zealand economy. We find that the elimination of tariffs in New Zealand delivers a very small increase in GDP as allocative efficiency improves. However, the terms of trade effects associated with the tariff removal generate a very small welfare loss. We assess the sensitivity of the welfare results to key elasticity parameters.dynamic computable general equilibrium, New Zealand, tariffs, allocative efficiency, cost benefit analysis

Building the pillars of a regional economic partnership. A report to inform New Zealand's contribution to Phase II of CEPEA

The Phase I CEPEA Study Group report presented an overview of CEPEA’s objectives and scope, estimated the economic impact of a comprehensive agreement and provided some high level suggestions regarding selected key elements of such an agreement. This report builds on, and explores new ground, related to the four pillars of CEPEA noted above, and deepens the analytical knowledge base for future discussions. This report aims to inform and focus Study Group discussions for the next phase of this initiative by: [1] Making specific suggestions on the nature and scope of provisions that fall under the various pillars of CEPEA. These suggestions add some 'meat on the bones' of the conceptual framework presented in the Phase I report. This will help the Study Group to develop a view on what a CEPEA could look like in practice, and to better understand some of the complex issues and trade-offs that will arise if a comprehensive agreement is to be negotiated. [2] Updating the general equilibrium modelling exercise in the initial report by employing the recently-released version 7 of the GTAP database. This analysis estimates separately the impacts of a CEPEA on 15 of the 16 East Asia Summit countries. This modelling update will provide researchers, policy makers and Ministers with a clearer sense of the potential benefits that CEPEA would deliver to member countries. [3] Identifying areas of future research for the Study Group to consider

Hi ho silver lining? What firms need to think about as New Zealand ages

This report argues that the ageing New Zealand population will see fewer productive workers in proportion to the number of retirees which will drive up wages, and that firms need to prepare. Key findings: Ageing will impact on firms’ costs of doing business New Zealand’s ageing has a profound impact on the costs of producing goods and services. Ageing shrinks the future pool of labour as a fraction of society. That drives up wages as firms bid for talent. As firms respond, we show higher wages reduce output in labour - intensive sectors like manufacturing. This continues the long - run trend in that sector with firms moving away from competing on cost and moving toward competing in niche manufacturing based on specialised knowledge and expertise . Opportunities from changes in demand for firms who adapt Challenges and opportunities exist on the demand side too. Consumption effects are driven by: (i) how our needs and desires change at different points of our lives (ii) how consumption by a particular age changes over time: today’s sixty - year old is not the same as the sixty - year old of yesteryear. Some changes to demand for goods and services will be clear and industry specific: health, travel and insurance are likely to profit from an older population. But demand changes can be subtle. Firms will need a plan to make the most of shifting opportunities in their sector. Global and regional factors intensify the impact of ageing New Zealand is also ageing unevenly. Some regions show the impact of in-flows of older cohorts at the same time as opportunities in urban areas offshore are hollowing out younger cohorts. This amplifies the impact on regional labour markets and will shift regional patterns of demand. Meanwhile global competition for talent will amplify the impacts of labour in short supply further bidding up wages. If the environment for producing labour - intensive goods is challenging now, higher wages make that environment look even tougher

Distance isn’t dead : An empirical evaluation of food miles-based preference changes

Food miles measure the distance food travels to reach consumers plates. Although substituting local food for imported produce will not necessarily reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the food miles movement is an intuitively appealing idea to consumers and supported by import-competing producers. We investigate the economic implications of food miles-induced preference changes in Europe using a global, economy-wide model. We observe large welfare losses for New Zealand and several Sub-Saharan African nations. This suggests that food miles campaigns will increase global inequality without necessarily improving environmental outcomes. We then consider the implications of our results for New Zealand businesses and government agencies. We conclude that there is an ongoing requirement for careful monitoring of offshore consumer trends and that New Zealand firms need to demonstrate their sustainability credentials to avoid suffering negative demand shocks.food miles, non-tariff barriers, trade protection

International trade in services: A scoping study of services trade and estimates of benefits from services trade liberalisation

This is a scoping study. It summarises the dynamics of services trade in the world economy and discusses some of the benefits of services trade liberalisation from a qualitative and quantitative view point. We place particular emphasis on the role and interests of developing and least developed countries in world services trade. The study also provides an overview of services trade in the New Zealand economy, and, in places, highlights aspects of services trade where New Zealand’s interests might be pursued through further research. In our study we found that although developed economies dominate world services trade, developing countries, including least developed economies, are rapidly expanding their share of world services trade. Moreover, on most measures developing countries stand to benefit the most from services trade liberalisation

Farming in New Zealand: The state of play and key issues for the backbone of the New Zealand economy

This paper aims to highlight the continued importance to New Zealand’s economic future of having a vibrant farming sector. It argues that New Zealand policymakers cannot afford to ignore or downplay the contribution of the primary sector in favour of promoting ‘sexy’ industries such as ICT and the creative industries. By looking at how the New Zealand farming sector has overcome the significant adjustment costs of deregulation and the removal of assistance, and how it has diversified and adapted its product mix, it will be argued that the medium term outlook for the primary sector is very bright. This paper shows that other countries considering the removal of agricultural assistance can learn a great deal from New Zealand’s experience over the past two decades. Finally, the key challenges facing New Zealand’s farmers are examined to consider how policymakers might assist the farming sector to maximise its potential

Demonstration of early functional compromise of bone marrow derived hematopoietic progenitor cells during bovine neonatal pancytopenia through in vitro culture of bone marrow biopsies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Bovine neonatal pancytopenia (BNP) is a syndrome characterised by thrombocytopenia associated with marked bone marrow destruction in calves, widely reported since 2007 in several European countries and since 2011 in New Zealand. The disease is epidemiologically associated with the use of an inactivated bovine virus diarrhoea (BVD) vaccine and is currently considered to be caused by absorption of colostral antibody produced by some vaccinated cows (“BNP dams”). Alloantibodies capable of binding to the leukocyte surface have been detected in BNP dams and antibodies recognising bovine MHC class I and β-2-microglobulin have been detected in vaccinated cattle. In this study, calves were challenged with pooled colostrum collected from BNP dams or from non-BNP dams and their bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) cultured <it>in vitro</it> from sternal biopsies taken at 24 hours and 6 days post-challenge.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Clonogenic assay demonstrated that CFU-GEMM (colony forming unit-granulocyte/erythroid/macrophage/megakaryocyte; pluripotential progenitor cell) colony development was compromised from HPCs harvested as early as 24 hour post-challenge. By 6 days post challenge, HPCs harvested from challenged calves failed to develop CFU-E (erythroid) colonies and the development of both CFU-GEMM and CFU-GM (granulocyte/macrophage) was markedly reduced.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study suggests that the bone marrow pathology and clinical signs associated with BNP are related to an insult which compromises the pluripotential progenitor cell within the first 24 hours of life but that this does not initially include all cell types.</p