“First and foremost, there is the need to maintain fiscal space for fiscal policy to play a shock-absorber role. That means paying our debt down during normal economic times.” With these words, Treasury Secretary Iain Rennie signalled a welcome return to sound economic principles in his speech launching the draft Te Ara Mokopuna 2025, the Treasury’s Long-term Insights Briefing on how to manage government finances sustainably. Read more

There is a devil in European literature who claims an unexpected virtue: he intends evil but accomplishes good. In Goethe’s masterpiece “Faust,” Mephistopheles – essentially the devil – tells us: “I am part of that power which eternally wills evil and eternally works good.” This paradox from German literature’s greatest work perfectly captures a surprising phenomenon unfolding today: Donald Trump may be the Mephistopheles that Europe did not know it needed. Read more

There is something tragic about watching the United States deliberately harm itself – especially when the damage spills over to everyone else. President Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ trade tariffs are a disaster for America and the world. Read more

One of the pleasures of my job as Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative is hosting events with Ministers explaining their new policies to our members. Last week, we hosted Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden at our annual retreat. Read more

Last November, Germany’s “traffic light” coalition collapsed and snap elections were called for February 2025. I dutifully registered to vote as a German living abroad. Read more

Winning an election can still mean losing control. This paradox is playing out in Germany right now. Read more

his week, the Government unveiled its blueprint to replace the Resource Management Act. This is not just another policy tweak – it is a game-changer for New Zealand’s economy. Read more

Almost two decades ago, I published my first journalistic article. It was a short piece on the nature of money, inspired by Roland Baader, a German economist and student of Nobel laureate Friedrich Hayek. Read more

Last week, I had the opportunity to interview Michael Pezzullo, former Secretary of the Australian Department of Home Affairs, for The New Zealand Initiative’s podcast. Pezzullo gave a stark assessment of the security challenges facing Australia and New Zealand in the Indo-Pacific region. Read more

Donald Trump’s February call with Vladimir Putin over Ukraine’s future marked the end of the post-war order. His promised visit to Moscow and Putin’s planned trip to Washington herald a new era of raw power politics. Read more