I’m sure there’s data from overseas about how well it works. My understanding is that it doesn’t result in base price increases in general (although can’t say I’ve looked at it closely). Yes, NZ could be different, but it also could not be. Even in a duopoly, there are competitive forces on prices. And yeah, we need to do something about the lack of competition in NZ in general.

You’re right that it’s a populist policy, but populism isn’t inherently bad… lots of good things would probably get overturned or taken away if the pressure of the next election didn’t stop politicians doing that.

Anyway, like I said earlier, I’m not that excited about this policy. I hope it helps reduce the cost of living for people who really need it, but it doesn’t seem like it’ll make a huge difference.