UPfront A Cartoon History of Management

Dr Don Brash has recently parlayed his economic guru status into the leadership of the National Party. He might not like to be reminded that his economic advice has sometimes fallen well short of Olympian wisdom. In 1989 he was, as Governor of the Reserve Bank, in relentless pursuit of inflationary pressures wherever he found them. His belief that New Zealanders should spurn home ownership because mortgage interest rates were too high was rather self-serving at the time. In retrospect, it was plain silly. As house prices have steadily increased anyone who did listen to Brash back then will be doomed to renting for the rest of their lives. And not at 1989 rentals either. Somehow, rental accommodation doesn’t sound like bedrock National Party policy, does it?