Government’s right to compel private owners to sell land for public works makes it easier for the government to build things like roads. A single hold-out owner along the route’s most logical path could otherwise hold the government to ransom. Read more
The economic integration of the Asia-Pacific region has been a major success story of the last few decades, with overseas trade helping lift a quarter of a billion people from poverty to middle income. Now trade growth is slowing, the demographic dividend is over, and technology is disrupting. Read more
The New Zealand Initiative welcomes you to a panel discussion on the rise of ‘lifestyle regulations’. While we may be used to policies that address the negative outcomes of smoking, we now see policies aimed at what you eat and drink too. Read more
Canadian and New Zealand responses to last October’s refugee crisis could not have been more different. Kiwis who wanted to help Syrian refugees did admirable work in preparing for those refugees that New Zealand did accept. Read more
Our Retreat is the chance to discuss social and economic issues with members and bring those issues to the attention of New Zealand’s leading politicians. Please contact Chelsy at chelsy.blair@nzinitiative.org.nz for further information. Read more
The European Union has been in crisis for many years. Simultaneous sovereign debt, banking and monetary crises have tested the European institutions to the limit. Read more
In today’s economy, regulations are ubiquitous. Successive governments have bequeathed us a legacy of thousands of pages of legislation and regulations which, in theory, every company manager and director should know. Read more
Changing national laws can be cumbersome. Finding central government solutions to local problems can be impossible. Read more
The Prime Minister has agreed to discuss the recommendations of our regulation project at a special members' lunch in September. About the speaker Prime Minister John Key has been the Prime Minister of New Zealand since November 2008 and Leader of the New Zealand National Party since November 2006. Read more
Come along and listen to some of New Zealand’s top university debaters battle it out with the moot: This house believes that high house prices make us poorer as a nation. We will have panellists Phil Twyford, MP, Labour Party Housing Spokesperson and Andrew King, Executive Officer, New Zealand Property Investors Federation. Read more
Come along and listen to some of New Zealand’s top university debaters battle it out with the moot: This house believes that economic growth always comes at the expense of people and the environment. We will have panellists Sir Roger Douglas and Sue Bradford. Read more
Come along and listen to some of New Zealand’s top university debaters battle it out with the moot: This house would legalise euthanasia. We will have panellists Maryan Street (former Labour MP) and Dr Stephen Child of NZMA. Read more
Hon Hekia Parata will give an update on charter schools, Investing in Educational Success programme, and her take on the future of Maths teaching. About the speaker Hekia has lived and worked in Wellington for most of the past 30 years during which time she has worked in both the public and private sector, holding senior policy and management positions and running a successful consultancy company with her husband Sir Wira Gardiner, advising clients in New Zealand and internationally, She has represented New Zealand at the New Zealand Embassy in Washington, DC, and at a number of multinational forums including the South Pacific Forum, the United Nations Forum, the World Bank Forum and a number of international indigenous forums. Hekia came to Parliament after the General Election in November 2008. Read more
Elected Labour leader in November 2014, Andrew has started a process of policy review for his party. We want to find out where this will lead Labour, and conversely, Labour is interested in establishing a dialogue with The New Zealand Initiative and its members. Read more
At The New Zealand Initiative we believe that people can be trusted to make their own decisions. Which is why we are concerned that governments are increasingly telling us what and how much to eat, whether to drink, or how to arrange our financial affairs. Read more
