The Accident Compensation Corporation exists to mend people. If you are hurt in an accident, the scheme pays for your care and some of your lost wages. Read more
Wellington (Thursday, 25 June 2026) – If re-elected, National would make KiwiSaver contributions compulsory from 2028, with employers and employees each contributing 6 percent by 2032. That compulsion requires guardrails, according to a research note published today by The New Zealand Initiative's Chief Economist Dr Eric Crampton. Read more
If re-elected, National would make KiwiSaver contributions compulsory from 2028, with employers and employees each contributing 6 percent by 2032. That compulsion requires guardrails, according to a Research Note published today by The New Zealand Initiative Chief Economist Dr Eric Crampton. Read more
The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), which funds injured New Zealanders’ care and recovery, has halted a decade of decline. But a New Zealand Initiative report warns its recovery rests on tighter decisions and exits, not proven rehabilitation. Read more
Wellington (Wednesday, 24 June 2026) – The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), which funds injured New Zealanders’ care and recovery, has halted a decade of decline. But a New Zealand Initiative report warns its recovery rests on tighter decisions and exits, not proven rehabilitation. Read more
In this episode, Jamuel talks with Oliver Hartwich about his report Half a Turnaround, which examines how ACC's outstanding claims liability more than doubled over a decade as more injured New Zealanders became stuck on long-term support. Oliver argues that ACC has halted the financial deterioration through tighter claim decisions, not yet through proven gains in rehabilitation, and sets out reforms including a 28-day rehabilitation guarantee to restore the scheme's original promise of getting injured people back to work. Read more
Most people carry a comforting picture of government. They may have no time for politicians, for sure. Read more
A sense of dread has settled over schools and universities. A machine can now read in an afternoon what a scholar could not finish in a lifetime. Read more
In this episode, Oliver talks with retired Major General John Howard about his recent trip to Washington and what the conflict centred on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz reveals about American power and the international order. They then turn to New Zealand, where Howard argues the crisis exposed serious gaps in fuel resilience and intelligence, and a public service that struggled to match ministers' urgency. Read more
From July 1, the start of the new fiscal year, Health NZ will stop paying charges to the Crown for the capital that it uses. The ministry calls it a technical change, with no effect on patient care, infrastructure, or the money available for services. Read more
Christchurch's SpicyBoys make hot sauce. They’ve branched out into a chilli gin to sell alongside the sauce. Read more
There was no real escape from the dystopia that Terry Gilliam depicted in his excellent film, Brazil. In the film’s world, nothing could be done without the correctly numbered bureaucratic form. Read more
Before anyone builds a house in New Zealand, someone must pay upfront for the pipes and the roads that connect a development to the city. Almost always, that someone is the council. Read more
For months, commentators had one demand of Labour: stop holding your fire and show us some policy. Last week, Labour obliged. Read more
Before anyone can build a house in New Zealand, someone must pay for the pipes and the roads that connect a development to the city. While this seems like a minor detail, it is a central issue for housing affordability. Read more