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
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon this week opened the door to asset recycling. He suggested that the government could sell state-owned enterprises and commercial assets it no longer has any reason to own, to fund new infrastructure. Read more
Wellington (Thursday, 13 November 2025) - A new report from The New Zealand Initiative says New Zealand can learn from Dutch pragmatism, competence and cooperation. Go Dutch: Learnings from The New Zealand Initiative's visit to the Netherlands follows the Initiative’s 2025 study tour of 42 business and civic leaders. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich spoke about the New Zealand Initiative's recent delegation trip to the Netherlands at a Dutch Business Association event, presenting the Initiative's report on how Dutch culture and pragmatism shape policy approaches. Dr Hartwich explained how the delegation's visit to Amsterdam's deregulation authority influenced the passing of New Zealand's regulatory standards bill, with Dutch officials describing the controversial legislation as "common sense". Read more
New Zealand can learn from Dutch pragmatism, competence and cooperation. Go Dutch: Learnings from The New Zealand Initiative's visit to the Netherlands follows the Initiative’s 2025 study tour of 42 business and civic leaders. Read more
Last month, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented her plans for 2026 to the European Parliament. She promised the continent would become the “master of its own destiny”, build its own armies, control key technologies and lead the green transformation without depending on America or China. Read more
In just two school terms, something remarkable has happened in New Zealand’s primary classrooms. According to data from the Education Review Office, the proportion of students meeting curriculum expectations for phonics knowledge after 20 weeks of schooling has increased from 36 percent to 58 percent, with those exceeding expectations more than doubling. Phonics knowledge is not itself reading, but it is an important first step. Read more
In this episode, Oliver talks to Dr Prabani Wood about her research note "Better health through better data", which examines how New Zealand's fragmented health data systems prevent policymakers from knowing whether their decisions actually improve health outcomes. They discuss Dr Wood's recommendation for a Canadian-style primary care data network that would enable practitioners to improve their performance while giving policymakers the evidence they need to make better funding and policy decisions. Read more
The annual public hearing of Germany’s intelligence chiefs is normally a tedious affair: Bureaucrats read prepared statements. Politicians ask predictable questions. Read more
Last week, at Wellington’s Koru Lounge, I discovered Air New Zealand’s latest contribution to aviation safety. My request was simple: a whisky, neat. Read more
In this episode, Oliver Hartwich talks to Nick Clark about his new report reviewing New Zealand’s MMP electoral system after 30 years. They examine quirks that have emerged over recent elections — from delayed results that stall coalition talks to by-elections creating extra seats, overhangs expanding Parliament beyond 120 MPs, and outdated election-day restrictions despite most people voting early. Read more
This webinar launches “MMP After 30 Years: Time for Electoral Reform?”, a report by Nick Clark proposing practical updates to make New Zealand’s MMP work better. Hosted by Dr Oliver Hartwich and featuring David Farrar (foreword author; political commentator and pollster), the discussion canvasses a four-year parliamentary term, expanding Parliament to 170 MPs with stronger select committees, moving to a 50:50 electorate–list split to avoid overhangs, modestly lowering the party-vote threshold while retaining the one-seat pathway, abolishing by-elections (filling vacancies from lists), repealing waka-jumping rules, and streamlining special-vote processing with consistent campaign rules across the whole voting period — drawing on international comparisons and lessons from the 2023 election. Read more
We all know the Greek myth about Sisyphus, condemned to roll his boulder endlessly uphill, only to watch it tumble back down each time he nears the summit. These images come to mind when I look at one of the ministers in New Zealand’s current government: Louise Upston. Read more
Labour wants to funnel Crown dividends into a new sovereign wealth fund restricted to domestic investments. The stated goal is to boost domestic risk capital, but the design is terrible. Read more
Every country has sacred cows: government programmes beyond criticism even when failing. Britain has the NHS, Australia has Medicare. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich talked to Sean Plunket on The Platform about Labour's Future Fund proposal, explaining how it differs from New Zealand First's similarly named policy and noting it lacks detail on funding and operations. Dr Hartwich highlighted contradictions between the fund's dual mandate, compared it unfavourably to Singapore's Temasek Fund, and identified protecting state assets from privatisation as the real political purpose behind the proposal. Read more