Mike Hosking and Andrew Dickens discussed The New Zealand Initiative's report on public service accountability on Newstalk ZB. Dickens noted that when he interviewed the Public Service Association they were defensive about the report, which prompted listeners to disagree with the PSA's stance (and support the Initiative's findings). Read more
Roger Partridge's report on New Zealand's ministerial portfolios was featured in Newstalk ZB's news bulletin. His research found that New Zealand has 81 ministerial portfolios compared to just 17 in Norway and 16 in Singapore, with The Initiative calling for a culling of ministers and the creation of junior ministerial roles to improve decision-making efficiency. Read more
Nick Mills discussed Roger Partridge's report "Unscrambling Government: Less confusion, more efficiency" on Newstalk ZB, criticising New Zealand's bloated public service structure of 81 ministerial portfolios and 43 departments. Mills argued that The New Zealand Initiative's recommendations to consolidate portfolios and create mega-ministries represent common sense reforms that the government should have implemented already. Read more
Dr James Kierstead talked to Emile Donovan on RNZ about his research showing grade inflation at New Zealand universities, with A grades rising from 22% to 35% between 2006 and 2024. Dr Kierstead explained that this trend isn't driven by improved student performance but rather by institutional incentives that pressure academics to award higher grades to attract more students and receive better evaluations. Read more
Wellington (Wednesday, 27 August 2025) – The Government’s supermarket package adopts the right strategy for competition – remove barriers to entry and open the door to investment. That is the core approach The New Zealand Initiative has championed for years, including in a May 2025 research note, A Fast-Track Supermarket Entry and Expansion Omnibus Bill, setting out a rules‑based alternative focused on planning, consenting and overseas investment. Read more
Roger Partridge talked to Sean Plunket on The Platform about Radio New Zealand's recent internal review, which revealed the broadcaster has lost touch with its audience and become complacent since the pandemic. Partridge argued that while the review identified many problems, it failed to address what he sees as the elephant in the room - Radio New Zealand's political and cultural bias that has developed over the past decade. Read more
Dr James Kierstead talked to Paul Brennan on Reality Check Radio about his report "Amazing Grades", which exposes how New Zealand universities have become increasingly generous with their grading over recent years. Dr Kierstead explained that the surge in high grades stems from academics adopting more lenient assessment practices rather than any genuine improvement in student ability, a pattern that became starkly evident during the pandemic. Read more
Wellington (Tuesday, 26 August 2025) - Nearly half of all grades at the University of Auckland were As during COVID-19, part of a dramatic rise in top marks that cannot be explained by academic improvement, according to a new report released today. Amazing Grades: Grade Inflation at New Zealand Universities, published by The New Zealand Initiative, is the first analysis of grading patterns across all eight New Zealand universities. Read more
Dr James Kierstead talked to Ryan Bridge on Herald Now about grade inflation at New Zealand universities, revealing that A grades have increased by 13 percentage points since 2006, with pass rates now above 90% at most institutions. Dr Kierstead argued this isn't due to students getting smarter but rather an "ethic of kindness" where academics give more accommodations, particularly highlighted during COVID when 49% of University of Auckland grades were A-range. Read more
On Newstalk ZB, Ryan Bridge discussed Dr James Kierstead's new report with Prof Elizabeth Rata, examining how A grades at universities have increased from 28% to 35% since 2006, reaching nearly half of all marks during COVID. Prof Rata praised the report for providing crucial empirical data on grade inflation and attributed the problem to a cultural shift from merit-based to equity-focused assessment, where students now expect high grades without necessarily demonstrating the required ability or effort. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton talked to Sean Plunkett on The Platform about David Seymour's proposal to review mandatory cycle helmet laws and the economic effects of helmet mandates. Dr Crampton explained how helmet requirements may actually reduce overall cycling rates and discussed research suggesting the health costs from decreased cycling could outweigh safety benefits from mandatory helmets. Read more
Dr Michael Johnson talked to the Wallace Chapman, Ali Jones and Simon Pound on RNZ's The Panel about the educational reasoning behind focusing on English phonics for beginning readers. He explained that teaching consistent spelling-to-sound mappings first, before introducing irregular words including te reo Māori terms, helps young children build reading confidence through mastering fundamental phonetic rules. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton talked to Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB about the Treasury report detailing government spending during the COVID-19 period. Dr Crampton highlighted that about half of the spending was not well-targeted and largely wasted, while advocating for the New Zealand Initiative's recommendation of an independent fiscal institution to provide critical advice to Parliament. 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
Wellington (Monday, 4 August 2025) – The New Zealand Initiative welcomes the Government’s announcement to replace NCEA with a more rigorous qualification system, marking a crucial turning point for New Zealand education. The proposed reforms – including compulsory English and Mathematics at Year 11, structured subject requirements and clearer A-E grading – directly address the fundamental flaws The New Zealand Initiative has identified through years of research. Read more