Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Keith Rankin
Political Economist, Scoop Columnist
Keith Rankin taught economics at Unitec in Mt Albert since 1999. An economic historian by training, his research has included an analysis of labour supply in the Great Depression of the 1930s, and has included estimates of New Zealand's GNP going back to the 1850s.
Keith believes that many of the economic issues that beguile us cannot be understood by relying on the orthodox interpretations of our social science disciplines. Keith favours a critical approach that emphasises new perspectives rather than simply opposing those practices and policies that we don't like.
Keith retired in 2020 and lives with his family in Glen Eden, Auckland.
Keith Rankin - Latest News [Page 21]
Dr Bollard and the First Law of Holes
Wednesday, 30 November 2005, 9:35 am | Keith Rankin
The First Law of Holes says "stop digging". It applies, universally, to anyone who's in a hole. And Dr Alan Bollard, Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand certainly is in a hole. More >>
The MMP Files [3]: Elections Past and Future
Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 8:59 am | Keith Rankin
National clearly benefited from FPP, forming most governments, including three with less than 40% of the vote. While National never got a majority of the vote in this period, in 1990 it would have gained 50% of the seats in an MMP election. More >>
Returning To Parliament Through The Back Door
Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 8:54 am | Keith Rankin
Economist Keith Rankin examines the merits and demerits of MMP. One of the more common criticisms of MMP relates to the status of list MPs. The biggest gripe occurs when electorate MPs lose their electorate seats but stay in Parliament as list MPs. More >>
The MMP Files: Under Alternative Voting Systems
Monday, 26 September 2005, 9:52 am | Keith Rankin
What would have happened on September 17 if the election had been held under any of three other systems: FPP ("nearest the post"); SM ("supplementary member"); 1-2-3 ("preferential MMP")? [STV – "single-transferable-vote" or "multi-member-preferential" ... More >>
The Election & the Provincial-Metropolitan Divide
Friday, 23 September 2005, 10:55 am | Keith Rankin
Many commentators have noted that there were two elections on Saturday. The provincial hinterland voted National; ie they voted for a change of government. Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Palmerston North voted for no change. More >>
Needed: Tax Cuts But Not National's Other Policies
Friday, 16 September 2005, 11:21 am | Keith Rankin
Tomorrow's election feels like 1975, 1987 and 1996. The common thread for these three was the economic recession that followed. In each case the macroeconomic situation was critical, but not correctly understood. In 1975, 1987 and 1996 New Zealand had ... More >>
Keith Rankin: The Politics of Generation
Thursday, 15 September 2005, 10:22 am | Keith Rankin
In this election campaign, Labour has been playing the politics of generation. Specifically, Labour seeks the votes of the young, those aged 18-35. More >>
Immigration: Needed, A Policy For The 21st Century
Tuesday, 13 September 2005, 12:37 am | Keith Rankin
Immigration was set to become an election issue, but got lost in the fog of tax cuts, student loans, petrol prices and speeding motorcades. More >>
Keith Rankin: 123 MMP
Monday, 12 September 2005, 12:56 am | Keith Rankin
One of the most important effects of New Zealand's form of proportional representation (MMP) is the significance of the 5% threshold for the "minor parties". A vote of 4.99% for a party means a very large number of wasted votes; of votes that do not ... More >>
Keith Rankin: Universities of Technology
Thursday, 25 August 2005, 10:30 am | Keith Rankin
Two important stories this year have been Unitec's long struggle for recognition as a form of university, and the record high balance of payments deficit that New Zealand is now experiencing. More >>
Keith Rankin: Auckland's Ports (Air and Sea)
Friday, 17 December 2004, 1:04 pm | Keith Rankin
It may not be well known, even in Auckland, but Auckland has two international seaports: Auckland and Tauranga. The Port of Tauranga and TranzRail (now Toll Rail) jointly operate an inland ''metroport'' at Southdown, between Onehunga and Otahuhu. Businesses ... More >>
Keith Rankin: Civil Unions And Discrimination
Thursday, 9 December 2004, 1:33 pm | Keith Rankin
One of the most important (yet least discussed) reasons why we need to have ''civil unions'' for same-sex couples is the need for such couples to be treated the same as married couples by government welfare agencies. More >>
Keith Rankin: Reckoning Risk
Tuesday, 30 November 2004, 12:03 am | Keith Rankin
It has been instructive to reflect on the loss of TE901 on Mt Erebus, 25 years ago on Sunday. More >>
Keith Rankin: The Case For STV In Auckland
Tuesday, 12 October 2004, 10:55 am | Keith Rankin
An analysis of Auckland's election results shows that increased use of STV voting will enhance the city's democracy. On its most substantial test, STV for the District Health Board yielded a markedly more democratic result than would have happened under ... More >>
MMP NZ Style: A Self-Eliminating Electoral System?
Monday, 15 March 2004, 2:35 pm | Keith Rankin
In New Zealand politics, there is an opportunity for the rejected FPP electoral system to creep back in through the back door. More >>
Keith Rankin: Awarding Votes
Friday, 27 February 2004, 2:19 pm | Keith Rankin
The vagaries of first-past-the-post (FPP) voting are far from an historical curiosity for New Zealanders. Not only do we vote for our mayors and electorate MPs by this method, but many of the award ceremonies that are important to us may lead to winners ... More >>
Keith Rankin: Do We Need A Global Police Force?
Thursday, 17 April 2003, 11:32 am | Keith Rankin
It has been long evident that the United States' invasion and conquest of Iraq has been neither a quest for weapons of mass destruction (whatever that phrase means) nor a selfless exorcism of an evil regime. The United States was always too eager. More >>
Keith Rankin: Empire Building
Monday, 24 February 2003, 10:44 am | Keith Rankin
Is the United States simply the world's policeman, on the beat, acting to reduce global crime? No. The Washington regime gets visibly angry at the very suggestion that there may be no crime that the Iraqi nation can be arrested, tortured and sentenced ... More >>
Ethnic Cleansing closer than Bali
Friday, 25 October 2002, 9:00 am | Keith Rankin
The Kuta Beach (Bali) bombings are supposed to be of special concern to New Zealanders because they bring terrorism to our back yard (or at least to within 6,500 km of us). Yet arguably the most disturbing ethnic-cum-sectarian conflict of the last three ... More >>
Validating Terrorism
Friday, 18 October 2002, 8:51 am | Keith Rankin
Last weekend witnessed the biggest terrorist atrocity in which westerners were victims, since 11 September 2001. And last weekend featured another repeat telecast of Mel Gibson's Braveheart , a staple for TV3. More >>
