Three weeks ago I last wrote here, in a blithely optimistic tone
No posts last week between some mix of the war news (including related economics and financial markets news) being more interesting, and Covid – in our house that is. Not being too sick, but not being entirely well either I wasn’t concentrating very hard for very long. Fortunately, the isolation is now half over and no one’s health is particularly concerning. So back to some domestic economics and policy.
When our isolation began I’d picked off the bookshelves the first of the six of Anthony Trollope’s Palliser novels. Having been on the shelves for almost 20 years it seemed like a good opportunity to make a start on the series.
Unfortunately, although the whole family got Covid to one degree or other and all of them recovered fully, I – quite a bit the oldest, and perhaps previously prone to slow recoveries – did not.
And this morning I’ve just finished the last of the six Palliser novels (an enjoyable read if, perhaps, not as good as his Barsetshire novels).
As those who follow me on Twitter will know, it is not as if I have lost all interest in economic policy etc, but have just lost the ability to concentrate on anything more taxing than Trollope for more than perhaps 10 minutes without feeling really quite unwell and needing to lie down. Reading one 8 page memo bright and early yesterday morning completely did me in for the day.
There are many people much less well positioned than I am (including that I have an ample supply of novels etc on the shelves), so this is really just an advisory that it seems likely to be a few weeks at least before there are any other posts here. Which is a shame, as interesting issues abound (should, for example, the MPC consider a 75 or even a 100 basis point increase in the OCR next month?), but for now it is the way things are.
croaking cassandra 
Hope you recovery back to full wellness soon, Michael. It’s good to know that you are following what your body tells you is needed – rest, and that includes rest of the mind/intellect too.
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Thanks Katharine
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Hi Michael – best wishes from me, too. I’ll put your ranking of the Barsetshire novels over the Pallisers down to an unfortunate side effect…
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Harold Macmillan supposedly once said he ‘liked to go to bed with a Trollope’, when asked what he did in his spare time.
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When I saw the headline I thought Michael was hitting the bottle (Palliser Estate)
Yes, all the best Michael.
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Such are my mundane tastes/spending on wine that that allusion had never even occurred to me…
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Get well Michael. All the best.
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Know how you feel Michael. Wish you all the best. Great column. Diane
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Get well soon.
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Good to read that you are recovering. having built up an extensive Trollop collection over the last few decades I admire your taste – and persistence in reading all the Pallisers. Trollop’s ” The Prime Minister” is reputed to be one of the finest political novels in English.
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Very much wishing you a complete recovery, Michael, however long it takes. Your experience & analysis, persistent engagement with important issues and independent voice is needed more than ever!
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The flying pigs are rooting for you
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Take good care of yourself Mr Reddell. This is the priority We can wait for your new posts SLV
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Take care of yourself
Mr Orr needs all the good advice he can get!
I rather like 100 basis points as the bottom line!
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Keep well – your posts are required reading for anyone interested in NZ economy
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A great series, the Pallisers, but with a (realistic) sad ending. The series with Susan Hampshire and Philip Latham wasn’t a bad adaptation if you can track it down on DVD for those days you can’t read.
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Michael did you read Peter Davis recommendations to the productivity commission?
Click to access DR-110-Peter-Davis.pdf
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