Bryce is a Senior Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative, and also the Director of the Wellington-based economic consultancy firm Capital Economics. Prior to setting this up in 1997 he was a Director of, and shareholder in, First NZ Capital. Before moving into investment banking in 1985, he worked in the New Zealand Treasury, reaching the position of Director. Bryce holds a PhD in economics from the University of Canterbury and was a Harkness Fellow at Harvard University. He is a Fellow of the Law and Economics Association of New Zealand.
Bryce is available for comment on fiscal issues, our poverty, inequality and welfare research. He also has a strong background in public policy analysis including monetary policy, capital markets research and microeconomic advisory work.
Bryce was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2025 New Year's honours for his significant contributions to public policy formation and economic research, spanning his influential work at Treasury during New Zealand's major economic reforms and his extensive research on fiscal discipline and regulatory quality.
Phone: +64 4 499 0790
Over thirteen thousand more full-time equivalent workers joined the public service from 2017 to 2022 – a 28% increase. It contrasts sharply with Australia’s modest increase. Read more
With numbers of those employed in the public sector increasing by 28 percent, along with more top heavy well-paid managers and communication teams, and an increase in spending - a new report is questioning why the outcomes in government dominated sectors aren't performing better. An earlier study shows the best performing countries are capable of achieving the same public service outcomes as New Zealand for up to 49 percent fewer resources. Read more
Wellington (Thursday, 22 June 2023) – A new report by The New Zealand Initiative documents the grounds for concern about the public sector’s performance. It calls for those in charge to step up to learn from better-performing countries. Read more
New Zealanders need a competent, productive, merit-based public service. Those attributes matter for effective government and, thereby, community wellbeing. Read more
The Green Party’s proposed wealth tax plays to greed and envy. It blithely proposes that everyone can be lifted out of poverty by imposing a heavy wealth tax on a mere 0.7% of the population. Read more
When I was a lad in the 1950s, I absorbed from adults the notion that it was shameful to be reduced to applying for a state handout. Self-reliance was virtuous. Read more
Last week’s government Budget increased projected government operating spending over the next four years by $8.4 billion while projected revenue fell by $10.7 billion. Projected government borrowing rose by $20 billion. Read more
The state sector is widely failing to meet the public’s expectations. One problem is inadequate accountability due to confused objectives. Read more
In this thought-provoking episode, the Initiative’s economists – Dr Oliver Hartwich, Dr Eric Crampton, Dr Tony Burton, and Dr Bryce Wilkinson – dive into the debate over whether Australia is a better option for skilled talent. They discuss the current challenges faced by New Zealand in terms of health, education, and infrastructure, and how the nation's performance is deteriorating relative to Australia. Read more
An IRD report on effective rates of tax attracted much public attention last week. It was launched by the Minister of Revenue, David Parker. Read more
New Zealanders are lucky to live in a country which ranks towards the top globally for compliance with the rule of law. We owe this rich heritage to our predecessors. Read more
Who really cares about the wellbeing of future generations? Those who do should care greatly about productivity growth. Read more
In recent years, threats to freedom of speech have intensified. The Posie Parker brawl last Saturday is just the latest example in the culture war around free speech. Read more
This submission in response to the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. Read more
Heather du Plessis-Allan on Newstalk ZB asks Finance Minister Grant Robertson about his thoughts on the points raised in Dr Bryce Wilkinson's latest report, Made by Government: New Zealand's Monetary Policy Mess.
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