Opinion: Five reasons why Trump will be good for New Zealand

Despite the worst fears and forecasts from the left, Donald Trump's presidential victory hasn't led to the end of the world.

In fact, there are many numerous positive signs. The US sharemarket and the S&P/NZX 50 Index are up and most of the predicted violence has thus far manifested itself in largely peaceful demonstrations.

Given the failure of the liberals to predict Mr Trump's election and his successes so far, the question must be asked: could President Trump benefit New Zealand?

The New Zealand Initiative's head of research Dr Eric Crampton and executive director Dr Oliver Hartwich tackle the subject and offer a few answers - with the disclaimer that, overall, he's still not good.

OPINION: Five reasons why President Trump will be good for New Zealand:

1. Any free trade agreement we strike with our Pacific neighbours will be better than a free trade deal we would have with the United States in it. The US insists on including big extensions to copyright terms in its free trade agreements, and those extensions never make any sense.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a free trade deal that was really about free trade? Maybe we can have more of those now that America has stepped away from the table.

2. Imagine a Tourism New Zealand campaign where a European family planning their US Disneyland vacation is stuck in a detention room for hours before being sent home because some pen-pusher at the border took exception to their 15-year-old calling Donald Trump a fascist on Twitter.

Cut to the welcoming experience at the New Zealand border where, if your shoes are dirty, a friendly biosecurity officer will help give them a scrub for you. Advantage: Tourism New Zealand.

3. The US has long been the magnet for the world's best in the technology sector. The country’s tech industry employs tens of thousands of high-skilled foreign workers on H1-B visas. Those workers are now terrified about whether they will still be welcome in the country they have made home.

New Zealand could pick up a lot of skilled migrants who have already been vetted to meet the tough US security standards. All we need to do is offer them visas.

4. The US has always attracted the world's best international students. It offers the best universities in the world, especially for graduate-level education.

New Zealand has a hard time competing for top international students. If they're all terrified to go there, we could attract a better calibre of international student to New Zealand.

5. He makes our own politicians look so much better. It's all relative. While policy in New Zealand is a lot better than elsewhere, other countries generally have more impressive politicians - except where the US is currently concerned.

The best political orators from places like the United Kingdom, or America, can make New Zealand's seem rather average by comparison: the best politicians in countries that have 50 times New Zealand's population will be very good indeed. But Donald Trump isn't like that.