How NZ’s productivity growth might be fostered by finding what makes “frontier firms” tick

We suspect some readers – maybe many – faltered when Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced he has approved the terms of reference “for an inquiry into the economic contribution of New Zealand’s frontier firms”.

Frontier firms?  What are they and give us some examples?

Robertson explained that these are the most productive firms in the domestic economy within their own industry.

“These firms are important as they diffuse new technologies and business practices into the wider New Zealand economy.

“While we do have some world-leading firms, we need them to lift performance and productivity to create a pathway for more firms to succeed on the world stage,” Grant Robertson says.

He referred to work undertaken by the Productivity Commission in 2016 which suggested that New Zealand’s firms – on average – were about one-third less productive than international firms in the same industry.

Megan Woods fails to spark when answering questions about energy hardship

Is Megan Woods  setting herself   up  to be  the   next  Minister to follow Clare Curran on to Labour’s back benches? No, that wouldn’t be  right:  Meka Whaitiri  appears  to  be  next  in line there.

But  Energy and Resources Minister Woods  has hardly  been an   impressive  performer, even though  she’s on the  government’s front bench.  Remember  her performance over  the  banning of  any further  offshore   oil and gas  exploration?

This week  she tied herself  in  knots   answering  questions  in Parliament  on retail  electricity  prices.