Oliver is the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. Before joining the Initiative, he was a Research Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney, the Chief Economist at the Policy Exchange in London, and an advisor in the UK House of Lords.
Oliver holds a master's degree in economics and business administration and a PhD in Law from Bochum University in Germany.
Oliver is available to comment on all of the Initiative’s research areas.
Phone: +64 4 499 0790
At the Initiative, we read the latest economic research, so you do not have to. Sometimes we find studies that are clever. Read more
The latest New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll makes for remarkable reading. If an election were held tomorrow, the country might have a hung Parliament. Read more
In this episode, Oliver talks to Adelle Keely, Chief Executive of Acumen, about the Initiative's delegation to the Netherlands. They explore the country's remarkable approach to challenges, uncovering how Dutch culture of collaboration, technological innovation, and pragmatic problem-solving offers profound insights for New Zealand's future development and national thinking. Read more
Correction – 6 August 2025 A previous version of this press statement did not accurately describe how some vehicles, including electric vehicles, already pay Road User Charges (RUC). The statement below is the corrected version. Read more
In this episode, Oliver Hartwich talks to Michael Johnston about the government’s proposal to replace New Zealand’s National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) after more than two decades. They discuss how the current system, with its fragmented assessments and focus on collecting credits, has weakened learning. Read more
When NATO was founded in 1949, Europe and America worked as genuine partners. Sure, the Europeans needed American security guarantees more than Washington needed another military commitment. Read more
“These days, ESG means Energy, Security and Geostrategy.” René van Vlerken, CEO of Euronext Amsterdam, was explaining to our delegation how Europe’s largest stock exchange operator had expanded sustainable investing orthodoxy. He was matter-of-fact about this remarkable shift. Read more
In this episode, Oliver talks to Professor Barbara Oakley about her six-month stint as a visiting senior fellow at The New Zealand Initiative, marking her farewell to her time here in New Zealand. Reflecting on her work here, Barbara shares insights into education, discussing the challenges of student-centred learning, her work with the Initiative, and the video project she's created with Michael Johnston to help transform teaching approaches. Read more
When our New Zealand Initiative delegation visited Amsterdam last month, officials from the Advisory Board on Regulatory Burden shared something striking. Before talking to us, this government agency had researched New Zealand’s approach – and they were astonished. Read more
Before our Netherlands delegation in June, I wrote in this publication about the political chaos we might encounter (When populists cannot be tamed, Newsroom 10 June 2024). Geert Wilders had just brought down the government he helped create. Read more
A book currently climbing the German bestseller charts caught my attention recently, not least because its title poses a question that seems at once paradoxical and profound. Jan Loffeld’s Wenn nichts fehlt, wo Gott fehlt (“When nothing is missing where God is missing”) examines a growing phenomenon across Western societies that transcends conventional secularisation. Read more
The New Zealand Initiative mourns the passing of our esteemed Adjunct Senior Fellow, Emeritus Professor Des Gorman, who died peacefully at home on 2 July 2025, surrounded by his family. Des was a towering figure in New Zealand medicine and a passionate advocate for health reform. Read more
In this episode, Oliver talks to Associate Professor Darwyyn Deyo about her research journey from using popular fiction like Harry Potter to teach economics concepts to her main work on occupational licensing regulations. They discuss what occupational licensing actually involves, how New Zealand's lighter approach compares to the much more extensive system in the United States, and examine whether these regulations truly protect the public or create unnecessary barriers to work. Read more
1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.1 This submission on the Regulatory Standards Bill is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. Read more
Next week, The New Zealand Initiative will take more than three dozen business leaders to the Netherlands. Why the Netherlands? Read more