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Switzerland, my home country, is often referred to as the poster child of localism. A substantial part of the political decision making, taxation and public spending is done on a sub central level. Read more

Travelling to New Zealand will be a tremendous shock to the system, a couple of my peers tried to convince me before I left home in Zurich. It was - but not for the reasons everyone told me. Read more

Treasury is the heart of economic expertise in government. But it is more than that. Read more

“If all the economists were laid end to end, they’d never reach a conclusion,” said Irish dramatist George Bernard Shaw. Or at least that is who the quote is attributed to. Read more

For six years, the Initiative has been arguing the case for localism. Pointing out that New Zealand is one of the most centralised countries in the world, we have called for a radical shift of political and fiscal power from the centre to communities. Read more

People have always said, we are creatures of habit. Every day we wake up at the same time, have the same breakfast, go to the same workplace, eat out at the same restaurants and order the same meals. Read more

This week saw the beginning of not one but two separate studies into local government. Speaking at Local Government New Zealand’s annual conference in Christchurch, Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced a Productivity Commission inquiry into local government funding and finance. Read more

Game shows are nothing new. They’re a dime a dozen. Read more