Dr Oliver Hartwich talks to Nick Cater on ADH TV's Reality Bites about the NZ government under Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, focusing on his business-like approach to governance and efforts to reform the public service. Watch below. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston talked to Michael Laws on The Platform about New Zealand universities' declining positions in international rankings, discussing factors like funding, research quality, and domestic policies. Dr Johnston suggests that while government funding is an issue, internal decisions by universities, such as introducing compulsory courses on Māori worldview, may also be contributing to their loss of international reputation. Read more
Stephanie Martin talks to Sean Plunket on The Platofrm explaining why the Free Speech Union welcomed Auckland University's rejection of a problematic academic freedom policy that could have restricted speech. The policy, despite its intentions, contained clauses about well-being and health and safety that might have enabled "cry bullying" and chilled academic discourse. Read more
On Newstalk ZB, Mike Hosking discussed Dr Eric Crampton's latest Newsroom column about proposed legislation in New Zealand that would force mediation between big tech companies and local media, potentially leading to financial compensation for news content. The column highlights Google's threat to drop services in response, and references similar experiences in Canada, suggesting the legislation may not achieve its intended goals and could have negative consequences. Read more
Stephanie Martin talked to Rhema discussing the University of Auckland's overwhelmingly rejected freedom of expression and academic freedom policy, which was four years in the making. The policy was criticised for potentially inhibiting rather than protecting academic freedom, with concerns raised about its focus on subjective concepts like "well-being" that could restrict open discourse and debate in university settings. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton talked to Sean Plunket on The Platform discussing the challenges facing New Zealand's media landscape, including TVNZ's financial woes and Google's threat to stop linking to local news sites in response to proposed legislation. He expresses concern about the potential impact on public access to information and civic knowledge, while also noting that democracy has continued to function despite recent changes in the media sector. Read more
On his show on Newstalk ZB, John Macdonald talks about Nick Clark's latest opinion piece in the NZ Herald analysing the potential impacts of giving mayors more power in New Zealand's local government, considering both possible benefits and drawbacks of such a change. Listen below. Read more
A lecture from US broadcaster and historian Alexander Heffner, the host of The Open Mind on PBS, held at the Parliament on 20 September 2024. Watch below. Read more
Dr Tony Burton discusses his new report Demystifying the State with Andrea Black. Dr Oliver Hartwich moderates this discussion. Read more
On August 15, we hosted our second The Health Innovators’ Summit. This was a day event that brought together politicians, members of The New Zealand Initiative, professional health associations, and senior journalists to learn about innovative solutions for better healthcare in New Zealand. Read more
EMBARGOED UNTIL 2.30 PM, TUESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER Wellington (Monday, 9 September 2024) - A new report from The New Zealand Initiative challenges common perceptions of New Zealand's state sector and calls for fundamental reforms to improve its performance. The report "Demystifying the State", authored by Dr Tony Burton, provides an in-depth analysis of how the state sector functions, moving beyond idealistic portrayals to examine its real-world limitations and potential for improvement. Read more
Our recent Health Innovators' Summit in August brought together healthcare professionals, policymakers, and industry leaders to explore solutions for improving New Zealand's healthcare system. Watch the following highlight reel where attendees share their key takeaways from the event, highlighting discussions on localism, the importance of primary care, and the need for innovative approaches to address the challenges facing New Zealand's healthcare sector. Read more
Dr James Kierstead talked to Cam Slater about free speech on Reality Check Radio. Listen here. Read more
Our Chief Economist Dr Eric Crampton talk to Jack Tame on Q + A about the ETS and the complexities of carbon pricing, emissions reduction strategies, and the balancing act between environmental and economic considerations in New Zealand's climate policy.
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Wellington (Thursday, 22 August 2024) - A new survey reveals that local councils across New Zealand want more power to make decisions for their communities, rather than having rules set by the central government in Wellington. The New Zealand Initiative, an independent think tank, surveyed New Zealand's mayors, councillors, and council chief executives. Read more