Media release: Stephen Jennings dinner lecture - speech available
Wellington (21 July 2016): On Thursday 14 July, The New Zealand Initiative hosted Stephen Jennings for a dinner lecture.
Jennings, the Taranaki-born economist and investor, has spent the past 24 years outside of New Zealand. First he pioneered capital markets in post-communist Russia, now he heads Africa’s largest urban development company, Rendeavour.
However, Jennings has not lost interest in his home country. During his address, Jennings drew on his international experience and outlined proposals for six reforms he thinks New Zealand needs to address immediately if we are to turn around our domestic affairs.
Jennings says, “New Zealand has immense natural capital, excellent institutions and outstanding indicators for ease of doing business. We also have a fiscal position and government debt situation that should be the envy of the Western world. Nevertheless, we suffer from persistently low productivity growth.”
The Initiative’s Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich, says, “Stephen Jennings’ speech was a timely reminder that New Zealand needs to reform if it wants to remain prosperous. Jennings’ warnings around failures in our education system and the need to improve housing affordability are supported by the Initiative’s research.”
With much interest around Jennings, the Initiative has made a PDF of his address available on its website.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Simone Evans
Communications Officer, The New Zealand Initiative
Phone +64 4 494 9109
Mobile +21 2937 250
simone.evans@nzinitiative.org.nz
About The New Zealand Initiative
The New Zealand Initiative is an evidence-based think tank and research institute, which is supported by a membership organisation that counts some of the country’s leading visionaries, business leaders and political thinkers among its ranks.
Our members are committed to developing policies to make New Zealand a better country for all its citizens. We believe all New Zealanders deserve a world-class education system, affordable housing, a healthy environment, sound public finances and a stable currency.
The New Zealand Initiative pursues this goal by participating in public life, and making a contribution to public discussions.
For more information visit www.nzinitiative.org.nz