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
Dr Oliver Hartwich talks to Michael Laws on The Platform about Christopher Luxon's first year in office, focussing on his corporate-style leadership approach and the government's rapid pace of reforms. Watch below.
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Dr Oliver Hartwich talked to Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB about proposed reforms to attract more foreign investment, with both ACT and NZ First supporting easier processes for international investors. Dr Hartwich supports these changes, arguing they could boost New Zealand's lagging foreign direct investment and productivity. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich talks to Nick Cater on ADH TV's Reality Bites about the NZ government under Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, focusing on his business-like approach to governance and efforts to reform the public service. Watch below. Read more
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) just released its Annual Report for 2024, providing an opportunity to examine how the central bank views its own performance. The Governor’s statement is revealing, praising a “Great team, best central bank” while ignoring the serious macroeconomic mismanagement by the current leadership. Read more
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has just issued his government’s plan for the final quarter of 2024. If that sounds more like a corporate earnings call than political leadership, you would not be far off the mark. Read more
For decades after World War II, Austria was a model of political stability to the point of boredom. The centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) and the centre-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) dominated the political landscape. Read more
There should be a German word for it: that moment when one realises a dessert one has always associated with one country actually belongs to several countries – or perhaps, to none at all. As a German who has lived in both Australia and New Zealand, I have often found myself caught in the crossfire of the great Pavlova debate. Read more
When law students first learn contract law, they learn that entering into a contract can happen in all sorts of ways. Only in the rarest of cases is a contract signed by both parties. Read more
In this episode, Oliver talks to special guest US broadcaster and historian Alexander Heffner, the host of The Open Mind on PBS. They talk about the current state of American politics and media, focusing on the 2024 presidential election and the decline of intellectual discourse in public debate. Read more
It was an ambitious plan to make the European Union the world’s most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy within a decade. It aimed to boost innovation, productivity and economic growth across the bloc. Read more
Look at the cover of our new report Demystifying the State. What do you see? Read more
On August 15, we hosted our second The Health Innovators’ Summit. This was a day event that brought together politicians, members of The New Zealand Initiative, professional health associations, and senior journalists to learn about innovative solutions for better healthcare in New Zealand. Read more
The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) has released its annual threat assessment, marking a pivotal moment in the country’s national security posture. This year’s report signals a dramatic shift from the approach of recent years, not just in its content but also in its unprecedented candour. Read more
Last week, an Uber driver surprised me in a conversation about the recent Court of Appeal decision classifying four Uber drivers as employees rather than contractors. My driver was blunt. Read more
No longer content with only overseeing human enterprises, the Commerce Commission has set its eyes on perfecting New Zealand’s flora and fauna. “We have found unfair advantages in New Zealand’s ecosystems,” said a Commission spokesperson. Read more