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
In Tuesday’s parliamentary questions, Minister of Finance Grant Robertson engaged in some impressive word play. He had previously dismissed exempting fresh food and vegetables from GST. Read more
From the vantage point of my earlier career at think tanks in London and Sydney, I have had front-row seats to the theatre of value-added tax (VAT) and goods and services tax (GST) policy lunacy. I have seen this seemingly innocent taxation mechanism morph into a clumsy beast, causing bureaucratic nightmares and economic distortions. Read more
Public webinar: Blessing or Bloat? Non-academic staffing in New Zealand universities in comparative perspective New Zealand universities are in crisis. Read more
Sean Plunket talks to Oliver Hartwich from the NZ Initiative - Is New Zealand shutting up shop?
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An economic expert says homeowners are disproportionately feeling the pain of the cost of living crisis. Latest figures from Stats NZ show the average household's cost of living increased 7.2%in the year to June. Read more
With his surprising decision not just to resign but to step away from politics altogether, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has created a phase of uncertainty. Rutte’s tenure, one of the longest among European heads of government, was previously characterised by adroit navigation of a political environment that can be as challenging as it is diverse. Read more
Oliver Hartwich was interviewed by Paul Brennan on Reality Check Radio on his observations in Ireland - Welcoming foreign business investment and valuing success in education.
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In this episode, Michael Johnston talks with Oliver Hartwich about a New Zealand delegation that went on an eye-opening journey to Ireland, a country making impressive strides in nurturing businesses and overall growth. They confront New Zealand's shortcomings in comparison, sparking a conversation about the need for systemic change at home. Read more
Meetings of the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF) are a regular fixture in the calendars of Australian and New Zealand business leaders and politicians. But their content has also become regular – which is to say, repetitive. Read more
It was a perfectly executed transition from one Prime Minister to another. When Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation in January, it took the New Zealand Labour Party only a few days to anoint her successor, Chris Hipkins. Read more
Webinar: Learning from New Zealand's past to build a better future Join us for a webinar as we launch “Paving The Way: Learning from New Zealand’s Past to Build a Better Future.” Everyone is talking about New Zealand's infrastructure deficit. But few people know how successful we once were at delivering big-ticket items like roads, rails and bridges. Read more
Last week marked a significant milestone in Europe’s ongoing struggles to navigate the complex issue of migration. After years of fraught discussions, the European Union (EU) finally reached a consensus on a new refugee policy. Read more
Did we just witness a third transformative Government in New Zealand’s history? Would it be right to compare the administration of former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to the likes of Savage and Lange who’s policies altered the course of New Zealand? Read more
Taking an unusual step, Foodstuffs North Island addressed the escalating retail crime rate in the country in a media release this week. The retailer reported an increase of 38% in retail crime incidents between February and April 2023 compared to the same period last year. Read more
Businesses typically avoid taking a stance on contentious political matters, particularly during election campaigns, and that is what makes this week’s media release from Foodstuffs North Island quite remarkable. In this week’s podcast, Oliver Hartwich is joined by Chris Quin, CEO of Foodstuffs North Island, to delve into the pressing issue of escalating retail crime and lawlessness in New Zealand. Read more