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
When Queenstown Lakes District council announced a referendum last week on imposing a levy on visitors to the tourist hub, it made headlines around Otago. In fact, the proposal potentially has implications for infrastructure and tax reform across New Zealand. Read more
After a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, UK Prime Minister Theresa May said new documents to be added to the Brexit deal provided "legally binding changes" to the part relating to the Irish border. Before UK MPs voted on the deal, Oliver Hartwich discussed with Larry Williams on Newstalk ZB if these changes are a real breakthrough. Read more
British Prime Minister Theresa May masters the art of political flexibility. Over the past three years, she has held a variety of views on many Brexit issues. Read more
“Few ways are guaranteed to make yourself unpopular in New Zealand: try claiming that pavlova was an Australian invention; hating the All Blacks; or maybe expressing sympathy for local government.” This is the opening paragraph in our new publication #localismNZ: Bringing power to the people. We launched it yesterday at a joint symposium with Local Government New Zealand. Read more
A new survey reveals that the majority of those surveyed support a move towards local services being managed and provided by local decision-makers. With New Zealanders’ attitudes towards devolved government shifting, many believe now is the time to explore localism. Read more
Oliver Hartwich introduces his new report #localismNZ: Bringing power to the people on Mike Hosking Breakfast. He also discusses the results of a new UMR poll that reveals the majority of those surveyed support shifting power from central government to local communities. Read more
As if to squeeze the most out of the short parliamentary term, the Government has been busy with a flurry of initiatives. Such a hurry can be costly. Read more
If success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm, then German economics minister Peter Altmaier is on a winning streak. Just as Airbus was about to announce the end of its A380 production, Altmaier presented his vision for Germany’s future industrial policy. Read more
In a world where we can hardly buy anything without a disclaimer stamped on it, it is surprising that articles about Brexit still come without a health warning. No, Brexit coverage does not contain nuts. Read more
During her tour of Europe last month, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wrote a piece in the Financial Times. As it was published behind the London newspaper’s paywall, most New Zealanders probably missed it (though a copy is available on the Beehive’s website). Read more
A panel - chaired by the former National Prime Minister Jim Bolger - has made recommendations to the government on how best to set up Fair Pay Agreements that would set minimum terms and conditions for all workers in the same sector or occupation in a bid to stop a slide in pay. The report has yet to be made public, but the National Party has been told some of the recommendations - chiefly that a fair pay negotiation could be triggered with the support of just ten per cent of a workforce nationwide. Read more
With Jacinda Ardern meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May to discuss trade agreements, Dr Oliver Hartwich speaks to Newstalk ZB and says this is an important chance to discuss our post-Brexit trading relationship and a good opportunity to remind the Brits that there are other countries who would like to trade with Britain.
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Wellington is starting to empty, the morning commute is getting shorter, and the capital is finally feeling like summer – all signs that Christmas is not far away. And so it is the time of the year to thank you, our readers, for your interest in the Initiative’s work. Read more
After the tumultuous years of the Euro crisis (2010–15), Europe seemed to have returned to more normal conditions. Gone were the riots in Athens, the stock market rollercoasters and the immediate threat of monetary union collapse. Read more
Few countries centralise government power as much as New Zealand. In most areas of public life, Wellington calls the shots, makes the rules, and holds the purse strings. Read more