In two weeks, we will take a delegation of New Zealand Initiative members to the Netherlands. We had hoped to study Dutch excellence in infrastructure, technology and regulatory reform. Read more
In November 2023, Ayaan Hirsi Ali stunned many of her long-time admirers by announcing her conversion to Christianity. “We can’t counter Islamism with purely secular tools,” she explained. Read more
Governments have many roles, but some are of fundamental importance. A vital role is to secure citizens in their persons and possessions. Read more
It is hard to feel sorry for Harvard University. For two years running, Harvard has come at the bottom of the free speech rankings according to the Foundation Individual Rights and Expression. Read more
The United States has the world’s best universities. At least for now. Read more
1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.1 This submission on the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No. 2) is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. Read more
John MacDonald discussed Dr Michael Johnston's report on Newstalk ZB, revisiting The New Zealand Initiative's research on modern learning environments. Dr Johnston's report, originally published in 2022, exposed the Ministry of Education's practice of mandating large open-plan classrooms without conducting proper evaluations of their educational effectiveness. Read more
We can learn a lot from newspapers’ Letters to the Editor pages. This week, I had a column in the Stuff newspapers on the Initiative’s proposed fast-track for new supermarkets. Read more
In this episode, Eric talks to Tom Mungham, the former Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, about gambling regulation. Drawing from Ontario's successful experience with online gambling regulation, they explore how New Zealand can learn from and adapt international best practices to create a robust, consumer-friendly regulatory framework that protects both players and market interests. Read more
New Zealand’s economy has a chronic capital problem – and it is getting worse. Over the last 50 years, New Zealand has become one of the most undercapitalised economies in the developed world. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich talked to Heather Du Plessis-Allan on Newstalk ZB about the potential global economic impact of Donald Trump's tariffs. Dr Hartwich highlighted that these tariffs could destabilise global trade for decades, with businesses struggling to plan due to the unpredictable nature of trade policies. Read more
Later this month, our organisation, The New Zealand Initiative, will take a large delegation of top New Zealand business leaders to the Netherlands. It is not a trade mission but an ideas exploration. Read more
There’s an old joke about economists walking past a $20 note on the sidewalk. One says to the other, “If that note were real, someone would have picked it up already.” It could be that the $20 note was a photocopied counterfeit with advertising on the other side. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich talked to Nick Cater on Quadcast about the enduring influence of 1940s socialist planning on housing markets in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. Drawing on two decades of research, Dr Hartwich discussed how post-war socialist urban planning ideologies have created persistent housing affordability challenges, while highlighting recent reforms in New Zealand that aim to liberalise planning systems and strengthen property rights. Read more
New Zealanders’ frustration with grocery costs is understandable. When household budgets stretch thin, the instinctive response is to assertively tackle the issue. Read more
