The week that was to Nov 20

TLDR: This week in geo-politics, the global economy and Aotearoa’s political economy, we learned:

• the Government’s RMA replacement will take 10 years and keep distracting us all from the magical thinking of the last 30 years that low taxes and investment co-exist with high population growth; Thursday’s Deep Dive

• a new report showed the big electricity gentailers paid out $3.7b in excess dividendss in the last eight years, starving investment in renewable generation and delaying our emissions reduction; Tuesday’s Deep Dive

• three opinion polls showed National’s lead over Labour narrowing and Christopher Luxon’s personal popularity continuing to plateau as Labour targets him personally;

• TOP proposed an alternative to Three Waters for planning and funding water infrastructure that uses existing structures and avoids balance sheet separation and centralised co-governance; Friday’s Dawn Chorus and,

• China distanced itself from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by signing up to a G20 communique denouncing an era of war and declaring the use of nuclear weapons inadmissible.

Christopher Luxon’s personal popularity continues to plateau as Labour targets him personally. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The Kākā

What was in this week’s Hoon

We talked with Dominion Post columnist Josie Pagani about polls showing Labour and the Greens reducing their deficit to National and ACT, along with the plateauing of Christopher Luxon’s personal popularity. We talked with University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor Robert Patman about the Russian-built missiles fired by Ukraine that strayed over the border into Poland, and President Xi Jinping’s hopeful appearance at the G20 and APEC summits. Our apologies, but the promoted appearance of Adam Jasser was a bit too ambitious. We hope to get him back another week.

Peter and I also talked about Elon Musk’s week of chaos at Twitter, the implosion of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX and look ahead to the final interest rate decision of the year by the Reserve Bank this coming Wednesday.

Some longer reads and listens for the weekend

Sunday Star-Times @SundayStarTimes

NZ’s towns and cities are rapidly becoming ‘hyper-aged’, which will have far-reaching consequences. Population projections show it won't affect all areas equally, and those most impacted will have difficult decisions to make. @comingupcharlie reports.

stuff.co.nzWelcome to the hyper-ageing nation that is New ZealandIn the early 1990s, the coastal town of Thames crossed an important threshold. It became “hyper-aged”. This dynamic is coming to a town near you.

Ben Hunt @EpsilonTheory

The MacGuffin is the object of desire. It is the thing around which the plot of the story revolves. Here is the story arc of SBF and FTX, and the MacGuffin that anchored it all - the Magical Money Machine.

epsilontheory.comThe MacGuffin, Part 2: The Story Arc of SBF and FTX - Epsilon TheoryThe MacGuffin is the object of desire. It is the thing around which the plot of the story revolves. Here is the story arc of SBF and FTX, and the MacGuffin that anchored it all - the Magical Money Machine. Read more

The Guardian Long Read @gdnlongread

'Putin lived in an alternative reality. He had convinced himself ordinary Ukrainians were “rural Russians” who would rise up and welcome their liberators. The Kremlin’s spy agencies were complicit in this fantasy' @lukeharding1968 on the invasion

theguardian.comThe night everything changed: waiting for Russia’s invasion of UkraineThe long read: Despite all the warning signs, as I sat down for dinner with friends in Kyiv on 23 February, war seemed unreal. Surely, Putin was bluffing?

e-Tangata @etangata

“Saving Māori lives is not only good for Māori, it will save the country money. This should be an unbeatable argument for the Treasury or any government. But we are still waiting for action.” — Professor Papaarangi Reid @Paps_R

e-tangata.co.nzPapaarangi Reid: The cost of doing nothing - E-Tangata“Our research confirms the cost of keeping Māori sick is many millions of dollars. Saving Māori lives is not only good for Māori, it will save the country money.” — Professor Papaarangi Reid.

Kirsty Johnston @kirsty_johnston

Today my investigation into the way NZ treats family violence begins. We know it’s our biggest problem and yet our response is inadequate, and dismissive, and burdens the victim with keeping safe. This first story is about protection orders. Please read

stuff.co.nzShe spent $50,000 trying to get safe. In the end, she gave up.Protection orders are one of the few legal defences domestic violence victims have. So why are women giving them up?

Profundities, spookies, feel-goods and curiosities

South China Morning Post @SCMPNews

A Chinese-made four-legged warrior described as a “robot dog” recently made its debut at an air show.

Have a great Sunday

Mā te wā

Bernard