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
Before our Netherlands delegation in June, I wrote in this publication about the political chaos we might encounter (When populists cannot be tamed, Newsroom 10 June 2024). Geert Wilders had just brought down the government he helped create. Read more
A book currently climbing the German bestseller charts caught my attention recently, not least because its title poses a question that seems at once paradoxical and profound. Jan Loffeld’s Wenn nichts fehlt, wo Gott fehlt (“When nothing is missing where God is missing”) examines a growing phenomenon across Western societies that transcends conventional secularisation. Read more
The New Zealand Initiative mourns the passing of our esteemed Adjunct Senior Fellow, Emeritus Professor Des Gorman, who died peacefully at home on 2 July 2025, surrounded by his family. Des was a towering figure in New Zealand medicine and a passionate advocate for health reform. Read more
In this episode, Oliver talks to Associate Professor Darwyyn Deyo about her research journey from using popular fiction like Harry Potter to teach economics concepts to her main work on occupational licensing regulations. They discuss what occupational licensing actually involves, how New Zealand's lighter approach compares to the much more extensive system in the United States, and examine whether these regulations truly protect the public or create unnecessary barriers to work. Read more
1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.1 This submission on the Regulatory Standards Bill is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. Read more
Next week, The New Zealand Initiative will take more than three dozen business leaders to the Netherlands. Why the Netherlands? Read more
Something odd is happening in New Zealand. The government wants to pass a law that would require ministers to explain their regulatory decisions. Read more
Local democracy in New Zealand is facing a troubling imbalance: mostly part-time councillors must process complex information prepared by full-time professional staff, often receiving hundreds of pages just days before critical votes. Could AI help rebalance this information asymmetry and strengthen democratic oversight? Read more
In two weeks, we will take a delegation of New Zealand Initiative members to the Netherlands. We had hoped to study Dutch excellence in infrastructure, technology and regulatory reform. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich talked to Heather Du Plessis-Allan on Newstalk ZB about the potential global economic impact of Donald Trump's tariffs. Dr Hartwich highlighted that these tariffs could destabilise global trade for decades, with businesses struggling to plan due to the unpredictable nature of trade policies. Read more
Later this month, our organisation, The New Zealand Initiative, will take a large delegation of top New Zealand business leaders to the Netherlands. It is not a trade mission but an ideas exploration. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich talked to Nick Cater on Quadcast about the enduring influence of 1940s socialist planning on housing markets in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. Drawing on two decades of research, Dr Hartwich discussed how post-war socialist urban planning ideologies have created persistent housing affordability challenges, while highlighting recent reforms in New Zealand that aim to liberalise planning systems and strengthen property rights. Read more
Was it really an “excellent” phone call with Russia’s dictator, Vladimir Putin? Did it signify, as President Donald Trump declared last week, an imminent breakthrough for peace in Ukraine? Read more
As this edition of Quadrant reaches readers, I shall be making final preparations for The New Zealand Initiative’s fourth international business delegation. In late June, we will take more than three dozen senior New Zealand business leaders to the Netherlands. Read more
On Tuesday morning, I attended a breakfast in New Zealand’s Parliament. The latest report from NZIER, the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, to Xero, the online accounting software company, “Going Digital in 2025,” was unveiled. Read more