Natanael Rother is a Research Fellow specialising in localism. He hails from Switzerland and has previously worked at think tank Avenir Suisse, the European Policy Centre, a major Swiss bank, and the cantonal administrations of Lucerne and Zug. Natanael holds a Master’s degree in Political Economics from the University of Lucerne. In 2018, Natanael joined the Initiative for six weeks. He has returned to the Initiative for four months and will be researching New Zealand’s night-time economy and vocational education.
We at the Initiative share Education Minister Hipkins’s desire for a stronger vocational sector. But we are less convinced that centralising the sector will solve the problem. Read more
The opportunities of industry-based qualifications are highly underestimated in New Zealand. It is therefore laudable that earlier this month, Minister of Education Chris Hipkins proposed reforms to the vocational sector that include industry-based education. Read more
Imagine you wanted to establish a bar. Before you could worry about vintage, décor or music, local activists might scare you away. Read more
New Zealand’s way of regulating nightlife often restricts the opportunities for night owls. This has made nights overly tedious without improving issues of public health and security. Read more
It would be insane to do the same thing over and over again and still expect different results. It’s a lesson those embroiled in the politics of the night have yet to learn. Read more
New Zealand's way of regulating nightlife often restricts the opportunities for night owls without improving issues of public health and security. Natanael Rother talks to Bryan Crump on Radio NZ about possible solutions. Read more
For someone with a hammer, everything looks like a nail, they say. For politicians, large-scale restructuring and reorganisations are sometimes that hammer. Read more
Coffee comes with a paradox. Night owls like me cannot simply begin to function before our restorative java, but getting the first cup takes some organising. Read more
“Nothing good happens after 3 am,” Auckland’s top-ranking police officer once said. “Facts tend to be overanalysed,” his Wellingtonian counterpart claimed. Read more
Especially since the Brexit vote, policymakers aiming for political stability might be reluctant to ask citizens about their opinion. They should not feel that way. Read more