It is not every day that a disagreement between a think tank and a central bank makes international headlines. But that is precisely what happened last week. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich discusses the 2024 Budget with Leighton Smith on his Newstalk ZB podcast and why it may take 15 years to get the economy where it should be. Listen below. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton talked to Sean Plunket on The Platform about the accuracy of alcohol and meth harm estimates. Watch below. Read more
New Zealand could use some easy wins. A miasma of slow stagnation appears to be settling over the country. Read more
After criticism of his decision to postpone its free speech event after a student protested the involvement of ‘big meanies,’ Elizabeth University of HAMILTON Vice-Chancellor Jac Jones proved the nay-sayers wrong, showcasing diversity with an event at which 80% of the speakers took exactly the same view. ‘My critics didn’t think I had the cojones – sorry, the courage (I really do apologise),’ Jones said. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton talks to Sean Plunket on The Platform to break down the 2024 Budget. Watch below. Read more
Dr Bryce Wilkinson talks to Leah Panapa on The Platform about BUdget 2023. Watch below. Read more
New Zealand is heavily centralised. This stifles local initiative and contributes to sluggish productivity and anaemic economic growth. Read more
In this episode, Michael talks to Craig Dobson, a veteran science teacher, about the changes and challenges in the New Zealand education system over the past three decades. They discuss the impact of education reforms, the evolving role of teachers, issues with student achievement and teacher retention, and potential solutions to improve the system. Read more
It would be ludicrous to describe Grant Robertson’s 2019 Wellbeing Budget as austere. Core government spending rose from around $27.50 of every $100 in economic activity to about $29 – a substantial increase. Read more
And so, the state advances. Thirteen steps forward, four steps back, then onward again. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton was interviewed on 1News on Budget Day about what he would like to see happen in the Budget. “What I would like to see today is a very clear path to get spending down to pre-Covid levels. Read more
When I was a university student, I noticed my car was not accelerating as smoothly as it once had. At first, I brushed it off, thinking it might just be my imagination. Read more
Wellington (Tuesday, 28 May 2024) - New research from The New Zealand Initiative suggests city and regional deals could be a key to unlocking New Zealand's economic potential and boosting living standards across the country. The research note, "City and regional deals", draws on the Initiative's previous work on localism and international best practices to explore how partnerships between central and local government can empower communities to tackle their unique challenges and seize opportunities for growth. Read more
This report, "City and regional deals", draws on the Initiative's extensive work on localism and international best practices to explore how partnerships between central and local government can empower communities to tackle their unique challenges and seize opportunities for growth. "For too long, our councils have borne the costs of growth while the benefits flow almost entirely to central government in Wellington," says Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director of the New Zealand Initiative. Read more