Google AI
The Times Australia

Times Media

The government taking full ownership of Kiwibank is a bailout in all but name – what are the risks now?

  • Written by: Martien Lubberink, Associate Professor of Economics, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
The government taking full ownership of Kiwibank is a bailout in all but name – what are the risks now?Getty Images

With the transfer this week of Kiwibank’s assets to a state-owned company, the New Zealand crown has now taken full control of the bank. At an estimated cost of NZ$2.1 billion, the change of ownership has all the hallmarks of a government bailout.

Former owners NZ Post, the Accident Compensation Corporation and the New Zealand...

Read more: The government taking full ownership of Kiwibank is a bailout in all but name – what are the risks n...

Times Magazine

Still Want to Change Gears? The New Cars Keeping the Manual Alive in Australia

For decades, learning to drive meant mastering the clutch pedal, selecting the right gear and find...

SpaceX changed spaceflight. Now China is proving reusable rockets are the new battleground.

When SpaceX first landed a Falcon 9 booster vertically on a floating drone ship, many experts desc...

Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid or Electric? Understanding the Differences

Buying a new car has become more complicated than choosing between petrol and diesel. Today's buye...

Technology

SpaceX changed spaceflight. Now Chi…

When SpaceX first landed a Falcon 9 booster vertically on a floating drone ship, many experts desc...

Local News

Fremantle Ports to trial project to…

Fremantle Ports has partnered with Byssal and DevelopmentWA to trial an innovative nature-based pilo...

Culture

Healthy Eating: What Does a Science-Based Die…

After years of changing food trends—from low-fat to low-carbohydrate, detoxes and "superfoods"—it ...

Travel

Santorini: Is Greece's Most Famous Islan…

Whitewashed villages perched on volcanic cliffs. Blue-domed churches overlooking the Aegean Sea. S...

The Times Features

Immigration Numbers Are a Policy Debate, Not a Race Deb…

Immigration has long helped shape modern Australia. New arrivals have contributed to the nation's...

One Nation at 29: Protest Party or Permanent Political …

Twenty-nine years ago, when Pauline Hanson's One Nation was officially formed in 1997, many politi...

IKEA: More Than Furniture—A Complete Design System for …

For many Australians, IKEA is simply a place to buy affordable furniture. Look more closely, howe...