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
A penny saved is a penny earned. This should be the motto of regulatory reform. Read more
If there is one country Prime Minister John Key seems to be as fond of as New Zealand, it is Switzerland. He has talked about making this “the Switzerland of the South Pacific,” although admittedly that was before the release of the Panama Papers. Read more
This week, Newshub released a new opinion poll showing a large majority of New Zealanders demand curbs to immigration. Three in five voters said so. Read more
If you are German, it is a little tricky to talk about one of Germany’s greatest philosophers. At least if you’re talking about him in English. Read more
Our Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich, talks to Newstalk ZB about where the New Zealand economy is headed, and whether high house prices are preventing us from developing the real economy. Read more
Distance makes the heart grow fonder, so they say. But sometimes distance can also make you see things more clearly – not just if you are farsighted. Read more
What is the difference between Austria and Australia? Well, when the Austrians recently went to the polls to elect a new president, procedures were so flawed that their Constitutional Court told them to hold the election again. Read more
There was a whiff of Monty Python about the Brexit referendum. In Life of Brian, the People’s Front of Judea asks the famous question: “What have the Romans ever done for us?” As it turns out, very little – apart from providing Judea with sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, public health and peace. Read more
Our Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich, talks to SBS Radio about Brexit (in German). Read more
Our Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich, talks to Larry Williams from Newstalk ZB about the implications of Brexit for New Zealand. Read more
Our Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich, talks to ABC Radio about the fluctuating international markets following the vote for the UK to leave the European Union, and how New Zealand could benefit from offering the UK our technical expertise. Read more
The best cartoon on the Greek crisis just ran in London’s Daily Telegraph. Five identical images depict a sternly looking German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Read more
Our Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich, talks to Newshub following the Brexit results and calls on the New Zealand government to provide technical assistance to the UK as it negotiates new trade deals. Read more
Our Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich, talks to ABC Radio about the Brexit results and the future of Europe. Read more
Our Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich, talks to Paul Henry about Brexit ahead of Britons voting in the referendum, and makes some predictions about David Cameron's future as Prime Minister. Read more