Last week, I interviewed Scott Scoullar, Chief Executive of Summerset, one of New Zealand’s largest retirement village operators, for our podcast. His assessment of our aged care challenges was sobering and demands urgent policy attention. Read more
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
American political scientist Francis Fukuyama is best known for declaring the “end of history” after the Cold War. History, of course, had other plans. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich talked to Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB about New Zealand's excessive government structure, drawing on The New Zealand Initiative's report that criticises the country's 82 ministerial portfolios, 28 ministers, and 41 departments as inefficient compared to countries like Norway and Ireland. He recommended reducing the number of ministers to 15-20 rather than the current 30, supporting David Seymour's proposal to slash cabinet and government departments. Read more
Normally, neither governments nor economists are fans of monopolies. Monopolies restrict production to draw higher prices on what they sell. Read more
Resources Minister Shane Jones recently floated a novel idea: government-backed insurance for oil and gas investors to protect them against future policy reversals. Let that sink in. 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
One hundred days into Donald Trump’s second presidency, his economic nationalism has produced an unexpected consequence. The man who campaigned on ‘America First’ and delivered sweeping tariffs within weeks of retaking office has become an unlikely champion of free trade – by forcing his opponents to defend it. Read more
In this episode, Oliver interviews Scott Scoullar, Chief Executive of Summerset, about New Zealand's looming aged care crisis with a projected shortfall of 7,000-8,000 beds by 2030 despite increasing elderly demographics. They discuss how retirement villages provide cost-effective care solutions, the regulatory hurdles of building new facilities, and the urgent need for better dialogue between the aged care sector and government policymakers. Read more
The United States is in turmoil, and so is its currency. Since Donald Trump slapped tariffs on all imports, global markets have retreated. 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
This year marks my twentieth anniversary working in think tanks. Two decades ago, I produced my first major publication for London’s Policy Exchange with the late Professor Alan W. Read more
For decades, New Zealand’s industry training system has been a poor cousin to the university system. In recent years, only about 6% of school leavers have undertaken apprenticeships. 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