Final Oliver Hartwich

Dr Oliver Hartwich

Executive Director

Oliver is the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. Before joining the Initiative, he was a Research Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney, the Chief Economist at the Policy Exchange in London, and an advisor in the UK House of Lords.

Oliver holds a master's degree in economics and business administration and a PhD in Law from Bochum University in Germany.

Oliver is available to comment on all of the Initiative’s research areas.

Phone: +64 4 499 0790

Email: oliver.hartwich@nzinitiative.org.nz

Recent Work

RNZ: Dr Oliver Hartwich defends Reserve Bank against unfair scapegoating claims

RNZ Business News discussed Dr Oliver Hartwich's comments defending the Reserve Bank on their midday bulletin. He defended the Reserve Bank against scapegoating claims, arguing that the current government's single inflation mandate and expansionary fiscal policies have made monetary policy more challenging. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich
RNZ
24 September, 2025

Media release: Reserve Bank needs support, not scapegoating, in inflation fights

Wellington (Monday, 22 September 2026) - The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has been unfairly scapegoated for the current recession when it was simply doing its job of bringing inflation under control, according to new research from The New Zealand Initiative. The research note, Monetary Policy Without Mates, reveals that while the RBNZ fought to tame inflation that peaked at nearly 8%, the government's fiscal policy worked against these efforts – forcing interest rates to stay higher for longer. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich
Dr Eric Crampton
Dr Bryce Wilkinson ONZM
Media release
23 September, 2025
research note monetary polichy

Monetary Policy Without Mates: Why the Reserve Bank is Right to Focus on Price Stability

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has been unfairly scapegoated for the current recession when it was simply doing its job of bringing inflation under control. The research note, Monetary Policy Without Mates, reveals that while the RBNZ fought to tame inflation that peaked at nearly 8%, the government's fiscal policy worked against these efforts – forcing interest rates to stay higher for longer. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich
Dr Eric Crampton
Dr Bryce Wilkinson ONZM
Research Note
23 September, 2025
Sean Plunket

The Platform: Dr Oliver Hartwich debates Robert MacCulloch over government influence claims

Dr Oliver Hartwich debated Robert MacCulloch on The Platform over claims that the New Zealand Initiative has "captured" the National government and is controlling fiscal policy. Dr Hartwich defended the Initiative, stating they have minimal contact with government ministers and would have pursued different policies if they truly had influence, particularly opposing last year's tax cuts in favour of budget consolidation and deficit reduction. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich
Sean Plunket and Robert MacCulloch
The Platform
22 September, 2025

Podcast: Building cyber resilience in New Zealand

In this episode, Oliver talks to Sam Andrews, Chief Strategy Officer at Bastion Security, about New Zealand’s cybersecurity landscape and the evolving threats facing organisations. They explore how AI is reshaping both attacks and defences, the strengths and weaknesses of New Zealand’s regulatory framework, and why building resilience is just as vital as strong security. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich
Sam Andrews
19 September, 2025

Podcast: Unscrambling Government: Less confusion, more efficiency

In this episode, Oliver talks to Roger Partridge about his new report "Unscrambling Government," which proposes consolidating New Zealand's extraordinarily complex government structure from 81 ministerial portfolios, 28 ministers, and 43 departments down to a more manageable 15-20 portfolios with corresponding departmental consolidation. They discuss how New Zealand's fragmented ministerial system creates accountability problems, increases fiscal costs, and hampers effective decision-making on critical issues like housing affordability, comparing unfavourably to other small advanced economies that operate with far simpler structures. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich
Roger Partridge
3 September, 2025

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