I used to think that the future of work consisted of people talking about the future of work, and then I discovered ChatGPT. Many readers will be familiar with it. Read more
Webinar: A Turning Point for New Zealand’s Education System Join us for a webinar as we launch “Save Our Schools: Solutions for New Zealand's Education Crisis.” Our webinar, and our publication, come at a critical moment. New Zealand faces the choice between reform and decline in our education system. Read more
Australian cities just became a lot more attractive for younger Kiwis. New Zealand’s housing will have to become a lot more affordable, in a hurry, to avoid losing them. Read more
The Initiative team has welcomed a new addition to their team with the appointment of Tony Burton as a Research Fellow. Tony has a PhD in economics and philosophy from the University of East Anglia researching game theory and choice under uncertainty. Read more
It is sometimes a personal experience that brings abstract policy discussions to life. And so let me share with you a chat I had last Friday with an Uber driver in Auckland. Read more
On March 31st, at a meeting of member-countries, it was agreed that the UK would join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The CPTPP is one of the world’s largest free-trade blocs, accounting for 13% of global GDP, 15% of global trade, and 500 million people. Read more
After a massive amount of fiscal and monetary stimulus, New Zealand’s economy overheated. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) faces an uphill battle to bring inflation under control. Read more
Wellington boasts three things in abundance: great coffee, civil servants, and wind. But it seems that the city council forgot to factor in the latter when designing its street lamps. Read more
A new report from The New Zealand Initiative is hitting out at the politicisation of our COVID-19 pandemic management. Co-author Emeritus Professor Des Gorman says that while they couldn't disagree with the overall strategy or the public health measures, the way it was governed left a lot to be desired. Read more
Scathing criticism of the role politics played in our COVID-19 response. A review co-authored by Emeritus Professor Des Gorman and published by The New Zealand Initiative, says while they don't disagree with the overall strategy or the public health measures, the governing left a lot to be desired. Read more
Wellington (Thursday, 20 April 2023) – A new report, authored by Emeritus Professor Des Gorman and Dr Murray Horn, reveals that New Zealand's COVID-19 pandemic management was highly politicised and resulted in poor performance during the outbreak. Lifting the Lid: A Critical Analysis of the Covid-19 Pandemic Management in New Zealand offers recommendations on how to improve future responses. Read more
On the same day the police watchdog's report into the force's handling of last year's protest and three-week occupation of parliament is being released, a think tank's report into the government's Covid-19 response has found it overly political, lacking adaptability and agility, and needing more transparency. The study called Lifting the Lid: A Critical Analysis of the Covid-19 Pandemic Management in New Zealand and it has been published by The New Zealand Initiative, a pro-free-market think tank. Read more
A pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) continues both worldwide and in New Zealand. Although estimates are that half the New Zealand population have been infected, more likely almost every citizen has come into contact with the virus in some way. Read more
A critical analysis of the Covid-19 pandemic management in New Zealand A pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) continues both worldwide and in New Zealand. Although estimates are that half the New Zealand population have been infected, more likely almost every citizen has come into contact with the virus in some way. Read more
In this podcast episode, the Initiative’s chief economist Eric Crampton is joined by OliverShaw Principal, Robin Oliver, to discuss new independent research which shows that high-wealth individuals pay more tax on average and represent a higher proportion of the total tax take than may previously have been thought. It has been strongly suggested that, in practice, New Zealand’s income tax regime is not as fair as statutory tax rates would suggest. Read more