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It’s Policy, Not Geography, That Holds New Zealand Back

September 10, 2025 By Nicholas Kerr 1 Comment

Geography does not condemn New Zealand to underperformance; policy does. Singapore and Ireland succeeded not by chance but through openness, low taxes, and strong institutions. New Zealand lags because government remains too large and policies insufficiently competitive. With the right reforms, we too can close the gap.

Filed Under: Policy Rants Tagged With: economics, ireland, new zealand

Trump’s Path Back: How Shifting Politics and Powerful Voices Reshaped the Election

November 6, 2024 By Nicholas Kerr Leave a Comment

Colin Wright

Obama’s subtle snub of Harris, voter fatigue with executive overreach, and the vocal support of CEOs like Elon Musk and Bill Ackman reset the 2024 race. By shifting the Overton window on immigration, the economy, and constitutional norms, these business voices helped clear a surprising path back to power for Donald Trump.

Filed Under: Policy Rants Tagged With: Donald Trump, new zealand, Obama

Isolationist policies start to catch NZ up

March 8, 2024 By Nicholas Kerr Leave a Comment

On the eve of Prime Minister Helen Clark’s meeting with United States President George W. Bush, and other officials, it is not just the US in Anzus that New Zealand should be concerned about, writes NICHOLAS KERR. Closer to home, our relationship with Australia is not what it used to be either. [This op-ed originally […]

Filed Under: Policy Rants Tagged With: Anzus, australia, brian mulroney, Canada, george w bush, helen clark, new zealand, united states

Loving Uncle Sam

March 8, 2024 By Nicholas Kerr Leave a Comment

This country’s education system has failed for decades to provide young New Zealanders with any context of the world’s only superpower and its people. There was virtually no mention of America during my own schooling; the only foreign country we studied was the global nonentity Fiji.

Filed Under: Policy Rants Tagged With: david lange, helen clark, new zealand, united states

More evidence of child COVID lockdown harm

February 18, 2024 By Nicholas Kerr Leave a Comment

The Sydney Morning Herald reports on more evidence of ongoing harm to children as a result of Australia’s harsh lockdown policies. We’ve seen the same disastrous impact on the lives of a generation of youngsters in US states that closed schools the longest, as well as countries like New Zealand that had repeated lockdowns. It’s […]

Filed Under: Policy Rants Tagged With: america, australia, COVID-19, new zealand

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About the Author

Nicholas Kerr is a Dallas-based marketing and loyalty executive, currently leading loyalty and CRM marketing for Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy at Brinker International. Previously, he led Microsoft Rewards and held senior leadership positions in consumer marketing and loyalty.

Raised in New Zealand, Nicholas writes The Kerrant, sharing his perspectives on economics, public policy, business, technology, and life. His commentary has appeared in National Review, The Washington Examiner, The Australian, The Australian Financial Review, and New Zealand newspapers including the Otago Daily Times. He has also addressed Chambers of Commerce, think tanks, and other organizations in Seattle and Dallas.

The views expressed on The Kerrant are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Brinker International, his employers (past or present), or any other organization with which he is affiliated. Read More…

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© 2026 Nicholas Kerr · The Kerrant
All opinions expressed on this website are my own and should not be attributed to Brinker International, my past or present employers, or any other organization with which I am affiliated.