This paper is the first in a symposium of papers that examine the 2009 report by Frank Wolak into the New Zealand electricity market. The Wolak report concluded that there had been a cumulative total of NZ$4.3 billion of overcharging in the New Zealand wholesale market over a period of seven...

This paper is the second in a symposium of papers that examine the 2009 report by Frank Wolak into the New Zealand electricity market. In this paper, we discuss the Report's measures of the ability and incentives of generators to exercise unilateral market power. We show that the construction...

The recent Wolak report on the New Zealand electricity market found evidence of substantial market power. The report, an empirical one, was heavily criticised on several aspects of its methodology. We investigate market power in the New Zealand Electricity Market during 2006 and 2008 using an...

The fixed-price-offer (FPO) mechanism in <italic>Trade Me</italic> auctions allows sellers to make a take-it-or-leave-it offer at the conclusion of an unsuccessful auction. Weinvestigate the effects of the FPO option on strategies and outcomes in independent-value auctions. The FPO option induces some bidders...

Money and Medicines: An Economic Analysis of Reference Pricing and Related Public-sector Cost-containment Systems for Pharmaceuticals with Special Reference to New Zealand, by Alan Woodfield, John Fountain and Pim Borren (Merck Sharp and Dohme (New Zealand) Ltd.), October 1997 Tigers in New...

This paper considers the application of competition law and price regulation in the very small and isolated economy that is New Zealand. It argues that the total surplus (efficiency) criterion should be applied in tests of practices and actions where the competition threshold is not met or...

We appraise the theoretical basis and the consequent empirical work of Frank Wolak in his study of the New Zealand electricity market in a report to the New Zealand Commerce Commission released in March 2009. The report found no multilateral actions, but concluded there was evidence of...