2023 was a great year for the Initiative. Have a look through our annual report to see what we achieved and what others are saying about what we do. Read more
Cast your mind back to the tense post-election negotiations of last year. Despite the prolonged talks, frequent clashes in the media and ominous noises from Winston, we all knew how it would end: a three-way coalition between National, Act, and New Zealand First. Read more
It isn’t that there are never $20 notes lying on the footpath, it’s that when markets are working well, there are strong incentives to find and pick them up. A $20 note shouldn’t have to wait very long before being grabbed. Read more
Initiative Senior Fellow Nick Clark discusses his new policy point with NBR. Read Nick's policy point Fast-Track Approvals Bill here. Read more
Initiative research fellow Max Salmon discusses his latest report Cabinet Congestion with the NBR. Read Max's report Cabinet Congestion: The Growth of a Ministerial Maze here. Read more
“Read my lips: No new taxes.” These were the famous words uttered by George H. W. Read more
The New Zealand Initiative's Executive Director Oliver Hartwich and Research Fellow Max Salmon discuss Max's research note Cabinet Congestion: The Growth of a Ministerial Maze with Former Minister Stuart Nash. Read Cabinet Congestion here. Read more
Initiative Chief Economist Eric Crampton Talks Tax Cuts & Uber vs Taxis with Sean Plunket.
Read more
New Zealand’s Executive Branch has grown to an abnormal size. The number of departments, portfolios, and ministers likely causes a suite of coordination, policy drift and resource management problems. New Zealand relies on the Executive for everything from education to roads. Read more
Research Fellow Max Salmon discusses his new report 'Cabinet Congestion' with Executive Director Dr Oliver Hartwich. Max explains how complicated political decision-making is in New Zealand's political system - and how it could be better. Read more
As the debate around New Zealand’s public finances intensifies, with talks of fiscal holes and prudent debt levels, it is time for a frank discussion about the country’s long-term fiscal sustainability. In his exit interview on TVNZ’s Q+A programme, former Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s suggested that New Zealand can and should sustain higher government debt levels than the current 30% of GDP target. Read more
We live in divided times. Where once there was disagreement over solutions, today there is disagreement over facts. Read more
My research note last week highlighted a massive mystery. Between 31 March 2009 and 30 September 2023, New Zealanders spent $158 billion more overseas than we earned on current account. Read more
Dr. Oliver Hartwich appeared on Newstalk ZB this morning to discuss whether New Zealand is at risk of entering a technical recession. You can listen below: Read more
My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. Read more