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
Some people fear rising sea levels, asteroids hitting the earth or global pandemics. It is easy to be scared of such threats because one can easily understand them. Read more
To get the disclaimer out of the way, Mainfreight’s founder and chair Bruce Plested is not only a member of the Initiative. Bruce is also someone I admire. Read more
The Initiative's Executive Director Dr Oliver Hartwich speaks to SBS Radio (in German) on our recent business delegation to Switzerland.
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In blocking the NZME/Fairfax and Vodafone/Sky mergers, the Commerce Commission again demonstrated its crucial role in shaping New Zealand markets. Both decisions were subject to close public scrutiny and attracted support and criticism, almost in equal measure. Read more
So here we go again. It is an election year, and we are witnessing the political equivalent of a soap show – only interrupted by the occasional attempted election bribe. Read more
We may not often hear about Niue, that small Pacific island state. But within the past week, we heard about it twice. Read more
On Sunday's Q+A programme, the panel discussed the new OECD report and give their take on how you, and the economy are really doing. The Initiative's Executive Director Dr Oliver Hartwich was on the panel with researcher and author, Max Rashbrooke and Kiwibank's Chief Economist Zoe Wallis. Read more
Sometimes the biggest obstacle to reform is neither a lack of money nor a lack of problem awareness. It may simply be a dearth of imagination. Read more
Unless you are closely following New Zealand monetary policy, you might have missed a BusinessDesk story last week. The newspaper revealed an astonishing correspondence between Reserve Bank governor Graeme Wheeler and BNZ’s chief executive Anthony Healy. Read more
When the UK voted to leave the European Union in last year’s referendum, it was widely interpreted as a victory of the political right. That was not incorrect. Read more
What will Britain look like after Brexit? This is the dominant question in British politics right now. Read more
The September election is still a few months away but politicians, pollsters and pundits are already speculating on the outcome. Of course, forecasts are difficult, particularly about the future. Read more
It is a distraction that National could do without this election year. Instead of battling the opposition, they are facing Eminem’s lawyers in the High Court. Read more
Executive Director Dr Oliver Hartwich spoke to Sydney's ABC TV on the Kiwi economy - and how it is facing many of the same headwinds as Australia. He discusses migration, housing and trade. Read more
Among transport engineers, the consensus is roundabouts are preferable to crossroads. They reduce crash risks, improve traffic flow and are less expensive to maintain than traffic lights. Read more