MEDIA

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

Dr James Kierstead discusses his new report Unpopular Opinions: Academic Freedom in New Zealand with Prof Grant Schofield. Dr Oliver Hartwich moderates this discussion. Read more

Dr James Kierstead appears on The Platform to talk to Sean Plunket about his latest report on Academic Freedom. Read Dr James Kierstead's report, Unpopular Opinions: Academic Freedom in New Zealand, here. Read more

Wellington (Thursday, 22 August 2024) - The New Zealand Initiative welcomes the government's newly released Regional Deals Strategic Framework, seeing it as a positive step towards empowering local communities and fostering economic growth. Nick Clark, Senior Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative, says the framework aligns with many of the recommendations the think tank has been advocating for years. Read more

Wellington (Wednesday, 21 August 2024) - The New Zealand Initiative has released a new research report examining the state of academic freedom at our universities. The report, entitled Unpopular Opinions: Academic Freedom in New Zealand, provides a detailed and thoroughly documented examination of the state of academic freedom at our universities, together with an analysis of the main threats to academic freedom in this country at present. Read more