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
Much can be learned from the past, both the good and the bad. The Initiative’s upcoming report takes a historical perspective on New Zealand’s infrastructure challenge and offers a roadmap for moving forward. Read more
It was a sight to behold. Last week, members of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) interrupted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech at the Austrian Parliament. Read more
The NZ Initiative are urging for the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation bill to be amended with an immediate post-implementation review of the legislation. In the consultation process the Government and administration committee left less than 24 hours for submitters to respond to the bill, therefore providing no opportunity for deliberation. Read more
In a liberal democracy, the police are crucial to maintaining order and enforcing the law. But recent incidents, such as the disruption of British feminist Posie Parker’s event in Auckland, have raised concerns about the police’s ability or willingness to carry out these duties impartially. Read more
In this week’s podcast, Oliver Hartwich and Michael Johnston are joined by visiting professor Dr Antje Barabasch to discuss vocational education and training, the Swiss dual education system, and the differences with the New Zealand system. Professor Dr Antje Barabasch is head of the research axe “Teaching and Learning in VET” and the research field “Learning cultures and instruction”. Read more
This submission in response to the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. Read more
Wellington (Wednesday, 29 March 2023) – The New Zealand Initiative has damned the consultation process for the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill. It urges that the Bill be amended to force rigorous post-enactment scrutiny, with the legislation repealed by 30 September if that scrutiny does not take place. Read more
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is worried, and rightly so. His city is battling an invasion of road cones, and something must be done about it. Read more
There are many pressing problems facing New Zealand, but none more urgent than the decay of our once great education system. For more than two decades, the literacy and numeracy achievement of our young people has been declining. Read more
“We all know what needs to be done,” former President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker once said. “We just don’t know how to get re-elected after we have done it.” A need for reform can be clear, but implementing such reform can still be a politically Herculean task that risks backfiring on the reformer. Read more
No matter how good an idea, it takes time for the entire country to hear about it. But that time has now come for localism. Read more
For years, The New Zealand Initiative has argued for the case for localism in New Zealand, which is one of the most centralised countries in the world. According to a recent tax sharing poll, 70% of people support keeping tax revenue in their communities. Read more
After becoming Prime Minister in May last year, Anthony Albanese got straight to work. Within the first few weeks in office, he fired the heads of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Prime Minister and Cabinet, and Defence. Read more
New Zealand is confronted with numerous serious issues; economic, financial, social, governance, and more. In his latest podcast, Leighton Smith and Oliver Hartwich analyse what’s wrong and what needs to be done, starting with the Public Service and Education. Read more