Intelligence built on a library’s ashes
It is legal to buy books. Obviously. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton
1 July, 2025
Rule of law – but for whom? A rejoinder to the NZLS report
The New Zealand Law Society’s new report, Strengthening the Rule of Law in Aotearoa New Zealand, runs to more than eighty pages, includes seventy-eight recommendations, and reflects a considerable investment of time and goodwill. Its aims are noble: to bolster constitutional integrity, improve access to justice, and promote respect for the rule of law. Read more
Roger Partridge
30 June, 2025
For more help and less noise
Parliament is supreme but it is not infallible. Governments often propose policies that are wrong in principle. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton
27 June, 2025
NZ’s infrastructure paradox: When spending more delivers less
A peculiar economic paradox appears to govern infrastructure development in modern New Zealand: the more we spend on infrastructure, the less we seem to get for it. This uncomfortable reality was a key takeaway from last week’s launch of the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission’s Draft National Infrastructure Plan. Read more
Nick Clark
27 June, 2025
The Johnston test for human intelligence
Philosophers love to dream up strange scenarios to get us thinking. They call these scenarios ‘thought experiments.’ In 1980, philosopher John Searle published his ‘Chinese room’ thought experiment. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston
27 June, 2025
Two suggestions for handling a deluge of submissions
How should a select committee respond to a deluge of submissions? Does it matter if many submissions are part of a campaign playing on whipped up fears? Read more
Dr Bryce Wilkinson ONZM
27 June, 2025
Podcast: When do jobs need occupational licences?
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
Dr Oliver Hartwich
Dr Darwyyn Deyo
26 June, 2025
Prediction markets reveal odds on Iran’s nuclear future, regime change
Late night ‘situation monitoring’ on Twitter when Israel and America are bombing Iranian nuclear weapons facilities is not ideal for a good night’s sleep. Possible outcomes seemed to range from a happy and peaceful shift to a more liberal Iranian government, through to serious regional or broader war with a nuclear-armed Iran. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton
26 June, 2025
Submission: Regulatory Standards Bill
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
Dr Oliver Hartwich
23 June, 2025
Parliament is asking tough questions about whether taxpayers are getting value for money
This year, the Government will spend nearly $190 billion. Yet we know remarkably little about whether those billions represent value-for-money. Read more
Roger Partridge
19 June, 2025
The demise of a Wellington icon
Minister Chris Bishop has swung his ministerial wrecking ball at Wellington. He will strip the Gordon Wilson Flats of its heritage protection. Read more
Dr Bryce Wilkinson ONZM
19 June, 2025
Podcast: Reimagining student pathways
In this episode, Michael talks to Beth Nalter, a careers counsellor at Saint Dominic's College, about the challenges and limitations of the current education system's approach to vocational training and career pathways for young people. They explore how schools predominantly focus on university pathways, overlooking the value of trades and vocational education, and discuss strategies to provide students with more diverse and meaningful career opportunities. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston
19 June, 2025
What to do about teaching?
For two decades, New Zealand’s school education system has been in a death spiral. In 2007, the Ministry of Education adopted a curriculum bereft of knowledge. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston
19 June, 2025
Learning from the Dutch
Next week, The New Zealand Initiative will take more than three dozen business leaders to the Netherlands. Why the Netherlands? Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich
19 June, 2025
The Memory Paradox: Why Our Brains Need Knowledge in an Age of AI
Abstract In an era of generative AI and ubiquitous digital tools, human memory faces a paradox: the more we offload knowledge to external aids, the less we exercise and develop our own cognitive capacities. This chapter offers the first neuroscience-based explanation for the observed reversal of the Flynn Effect—the recent decline in IQ scores in developed countries—linking this downturn to shifts in educational practices and the rise of cognitive offloading via AI and digital tools. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston
Professor Barbara Oakley
19 June, 2025
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