Guy and Avi fix the economy
Why is New Zealand so expensive? And who's getting rich while the rest of us struggle to pay the bills? Guy Williams and Avigail Allan investigate in the latest episode of The State of It.
New Zealand has a cost of living problem. Rent, groceries and electricity keep getting more expensive, while wages struggle to keep up. So how did we get here? And is there anything we can do about it?
This week on The State of It, comedian Guy Williams and researcher Avigail Allan turn their attention to the economy, drawing on a recent Undercurrents episode with economist Geoff Bertram about why New Zealand has become so expensive.
From supermarket profits and outrageous power bills to $350 Ed Sheeran tickets, Guy and Avi explore how decades of privatisation, deregulation and corporate greed have made life increasingly unaffordable.
Along the way, they consider whether we're all becoming peasants again, make the case for bringing back trains, and investigate the cosy relationship between big business and our political leaders.
Can Guy and Avi fix the economy? Probably not. But they're going to give it a crack.
Watch the full episode below and subscribe to Public Interest for more discussions making sense of politics and power in Aotearoa.
This episode was edited by Gilbert Patten-Elliott. For a more serious look at the issues discussed in this episode, watch our two-part Undercurrents interview with economist Geoff Bertram, Why is New Zealand so expensive?
