Actually I think that the cart has been put slightly in front of the horse here. Let's look at the opening line again...
"Immigration is harming Maori and pushing house prices beyond reach of first-home buyers, says a Massey University economist."
A Massey University economist. Now, researchers, professors, lecturers and other hangers on of higher education institutions don't just research whatever appeals to them this morning. Unless they're at, like, Cambridge or something but this is Massey. So job number one is to find out for what we can extract money from the government in order to continue our research and vainly attempt to gain relevance on the International stage.
Please fund: A study into the wider economic benefits of motorcyle commuting. ---No.
Please fund: A study into the affects of immigration on accountants whose last names start with the letters "P", "N" or "W". ---No.
Please fund: I dunno, something involving Maori and, ummm, first home buyers. ---Oh, Maori. Definitely. Lots of money for anything involving Maori.
And so it comes to pass that the only things that ever get researched are those which have arseloads of money sitting around waiting to be picked up.
I'd like to take this opportunity to lay into the academic standards in New Zealand's universities ... apart from Peter Gutmann ... except I don't really have the energy to do it in a creative and insightful fashion. So please just take it as read.
Dave
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