MEDIA

On his show Canterbury Mornings on Newstalk ZB, John MacDonald discussed David Seymour's criticism of New Zealand's government bureaucracy and Dr Oliver Hartwich's insights on streamlining the current system of 28 ministers to as few as 15-20. MacDonald agreed with both Seymour's description of the system as "a big, complicated bureaucratic beast" and Dr Hartwich's assessment that many portfolios are unnecessarily split, creating inefficient silos among the country's 82 portfolios and 41 government departments. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton spoke to Heather du Plessis-Allan on Newstalk ZB about New Zealand's structural deficit, citing IMF figures that show it as "about the worst in the OECD" compared to GDP. He identified government spending growth to "well north of 30% of GDP" as the main issue and suggested potential cuts to pension programmes, health spending, and student loan subsidies. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton spoke to RNZ about reforming New Zealand's emissions credit system, arguing that payouts should be tied to international competitors' emissions rather than penalising local companies for reducing their carbon footprint. Listen below. Read more

Dr Michael Johnston spoke to Newstalk ZB supporting the new teaching mandates as "a good move" given New Zealand's longstanding literacy and numeracy challenges. Listen below. Read more

Wellington (Thursday, 24 April 2025) - The New Zealand Initiative strongly supports the Government's move to give industries more control over apprenticeships and training. "Minister Simmonds' announcement today addresses a key issue in our vocational education system," says Dr Michael Johnston, Senior Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative. Read more

On Newstalk ZB, Trish Sherson discussed New Zealand's defence situation with reference to the Initiative's podcast featuring Dr Oliver Hartwich and former Australian Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo. Trish emphasised that New Zealand can no longer rely on geographical isolation for security and needs to mature in its approach to regional defence responsibilities. Read more

Dr Prabani Wood spoke to Michael Laws on The Platform about her latest report "The Heart of Healthcare: Renewing New Zealand's Primary Care System". Watch below. Read more

This webinar discusses policy initiatives to strengthen vocational education pathways in New Zealand. Drawing inspiration from Germany's successful dual-training model, Josh Williams and Dr Michael Johnston discuss initiatives in secondary and tertiary education to enhance the status and quality of trades and industry training. Read more

Wellington (Wednesday, 19 March 2025) - Nearly twice as many New Zealand school leavers fall into unemployment compared to those who undertake workplace-based learning, according to a new report released today by The New Zealand Initiative. While 11% of 16-19-year-olds are not in employment, education or training, just 6% participate in workplace-based learning. Read more

On RNZ's morning report, Ingrid Hipkiss talks to Dr Michael Johnston about his latest report Trade Routes: Charting New Pathways from Secondary School to Industry Training. Listen below. Read more

On Newstalk ZB, Dr Michael's report was featured on its news segment. Dr Johnston's report reveals that only 6% of 16 to 19 year olds participate in workplace-based learning despite efforts by some committed teachers to encourage apprenticeships. Read more

On his show on Newstalk ZB, Mike Hosking talks to Dr Michael Johnston about his latest education report findings. The interview explores the report's key conclusions and implications for New Zealand's education system. Read more

On Newstalk ZB, Kerre Woodham discussed Dr Michael Johnston's report which proposes a trades entrance qualification for teenagers heading into apprenticeships. Dr Johnston's report suggests that one problem with attracting young people to trades is that society values university education more highly than apprenticeship training without justification. Read more

On Newstalk ZB, Nick Mills discusses Dr. Michael Johnston's report for the New Zealand Initiative which found that only 6% of 16-19 year olds participate in workplace training. The report advocates for a "trades entrance qualification" for high school students heading towards apprenticeships rather than university, noting the average age for starting an apprenticeship is surprisingly high at 28 years old. Read more

On Newstalk ZB, John MacDonald discusses Dr Michael Johnston's call to overhaul New Zealand's apprenticeship system, highlighting the need for schools to offer trades preparation qualifications and remove the stigma that apprenticeships are second-rate to university degrees. MacDonald supports Dr Johnston's suggestion for better connections between schools, trades, and training organisations, noting how Germany successfully directs half of its school leavers into apprenticeships. Read more