Ireland's 'punk economist' David McWilliams, adjunct professor of global economics at the School of Business Trinity College Dublin, is ranked the 10th most influential economist in the world. McWilliams, a former central banker and an investment banker, also says now is the time for governments to spend and ignore warnings to the contrary. In a free market with lots of credit in the housing market when the price goes up the demand goes up. Keeping young educated people, and attracting them, is vital as a young country is a vibrant country, he says. McWilliams got his "punk economist" moniker from a series of cartoons he put out to make economics simpler and more relevant – in a kind of punk, DIY fashion.

Source: New Zealand Herald October 20, 2020 20:26 UTC