Should the Govt go back to picking economic winners? Let’s revive ‘industrial policy’ – Toby Moore

Opinion byToby MooreNZ Herald·31 Aug, 2026 05:07 PM6 mins to readToby Moore is a member of the Labour Party’s policy council. He previously was a senior adviser to former Finance Minister Grant Robertson. These views are his own.Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has met with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of Apec. Photo / PoolNew Zealand’s long-term productivity problem has been a preoccupation throughout our recent history, but what if part of the problem is that we have taken the lessons learned from history too far? This debate can be understood as being shaped by two paradoxical mindsets. The first is New Zealand’s persistent