Podcast: The day the West died: A wake-up call for New Zealand

In this episode, Michael and Oliver sound the alarm about the transformation of global power following a February 2025 phone call between Presidents Trump and Putin, where the US reportedly conceded to Russia's demands over Ukraine without consulting European allies. They examine what they see as the collapse of the post-WWII liberal democratic order and its dire implications for Europe, the Pacific region, and New Zealand's future in an increasingly unstable world. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich
Dr Michael Johnston
20 February, 2025
Ryan Bridge

Newstalk ZB: Ryan Bridge on The Initiative's report on government bloat

Ryan Bridge on Newstalk ZB highlights the New Zealand Initiative's report on government bureaucracy, which reveals that Aotearoa has 44 per cent more ministers, nearly triple the portfolios, and one and a half times more departments compared to similar nations. Bridge uses Ireland as a key comparison, emphasising how they manage with just 15 ministers and 18 departments, while questioning why New Zealand needs 78 portfolios and 40 agencies to function effectively. Read more

Ryan Bridge
Newstalk ZB
18 February, 2025
website gavel

Judicial restraint and constitutional peril in the Alphabet and Edwards decisions

The Supreme Court’s decisions late last year in A, B and C v D and E Limited as Trustees of the Z Trusti (the Alphabet case) and Whakatōhea Kotahitanga Waka (the Edwards case) v Ngāti Ira O Waiowekaii (the Edwards case) offer a striking study in contrasts. Both decisions have drawn attention for appearing to resist judicial overreach. Read more

Roger Partridge
LawNews
18 February, 2025

The day the West died

When US President Donald Trump called Vladimir Putin on 12 February, he made history – but not in a good way. Following a 90-minute conversation, Trump announced he would meet Putin first in Saudi Arabia and then visit Moscow, while Putin would come to Washington. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich
Newsroom
18 February, 2025
Submission 14 02 2025

Submission: Promoting competition in New Zealand – A targeted review of the Commerce Act 1986

1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.1 This submission on the discussion document Promoting competition in New Zealand – A targeted review of the Commerce Act 1986 is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses, and the International Center for Law & Economics [ICLE]. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton
Lazar Radic
14 February, 2025
Submission ICE 14 02 2025

Submission: Australian Government’s Consultation on the Proposed New Digital Competition Regime

I. Introduction We appreciate the opportunity to comment on the Australian Government’s (“Government”) consultation on the implementation of a new digital competition regime.1 As we outline in our comments, the Government’s proposal rests on the assumption that there exists a broad global consensus on the need for ex-ante rules for digital platforms. This purported consensus is, however, largely overstated. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich
Dr Eric Crampton
Geoffrey A. Manne, Dirk Auer, R. Ian McEwin and Lazar Radic
14 February, 2025

Podcast: The trouble with hate crime laws

In this episode, James and Michael talk to Stephanie Martin from the Free Speech Union (and also the New Zealand Initiative) about a Law Commission consultation paper on hate crime legislation. The discussion examines the shift from treating hate as an aggravating factor in sentencing to creating specific hate crime offenses, while exploring philosophical questions about hate motivation and concerns about free speech implications. Read more

Dr Michael Johnston
Dr James Kierstead
14 February, 2025

Media release: New Zealand Initiative Welcomes Focus on Grocery Market Competition, but cautions against changes to KiwiSaver

Wellington (Thursday, 13 February 2025) - The New Zealand Initiative welcomes Minister Willis’s commitment to enabling new grocery entrants into the New Zealand market but warns against politicising KiwiSaver. Initiative Executive Director Dr Oliver Hartwich said, “We have long argued that New Zealand’s restrictive planning and consenting frameworks have made it unnecessarily difficult for new entrants to establish a viable presence in the supermarket sector. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich
13 February, 2025

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