MEDIA

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

Dr Oliver Hartwich appeared on The Platform to talk to Sean Plunket about the recent cut to New Zealand's Official Cash Rate (OCR) by the Reserve Bank. Oliver explains that while the decision was economically justified given the country's economic struggles, he criticises the Reserve Bank's communication, arguing they should have been more transparent about changing their previous stance. Read more

At our Health Innovators' Summit, Prof Lester Levy opened the event with a keynote address. Watch his presentation below. Read more

Wellington (Wednesday, 14 August 2024) - Canada’s devolution of health services to First Nations provides a strikingly different way of thinking about localism, according to Dr Eric Crampton, Chief Economist with The New Zealand Initiative. “Canada’s central government has long provided, under treaty, a ‘medicine chest’ of funded services to First Nations peoples. Read more

Wellington (Wednesday, 7 August 2024) - The New Zealand Initiative has released a new research note examining how to implement revenue-sharing between central and local government, a policy the think tank has advocated for since 2013 and which the Government has now committed to pursue. The research note, titled 'Revenue Share' for Housing, explores options for councils to receive a portion of tax revenue from new housing developments, addressing New Zealand's persistent housing shortage. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton sat down with Mark Leishman, Stephen Franks and Verity Johnson on RNZ's show The Panel. Eric discusses the results of a major three-year trial of Universal Basic Income (UBI) in the United States, exploring its effects on work, health, and well-being, while considering the broader implications and challenges of implementing such a system on a national scale. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich was interviewed by Sean Plunket on The Platform about tax cuts coming into play. Watch below. Read more

Dr Bryce Wilkinson talked to Sean Plunket on The Platform about New Zealand's healthcare system overhaul, including the appointment of a new health commissioner and the challenges of restructuring after problematic reforms. They potential solutions, such as decentralising decision-making, to address issues like overspending and improve healthcare delivery. Watch below. Read more

Wellington (Wednesday, 24 July 2024) – The New Zealand Initiative is proud to announce the upcoming Health Innovators' Summit 2024, with a focus on innovative solutions for better healthcare in New Zealand. The event will bring together key figures from politics, healthcare, and journalism to explore how localism can improve health outcomes. Read more

Wellington (Tuesday, 23 July 2024) - The record net outflow of New Zealanders migrating to Australia and further afield should be seen as an "orange light" rather than a red light, according to a research note by The New Zealand Initiative. The report, Are flying Kiwis fleeing?, examines recent migration trends and finds that while the net outflow of 60,100 New Zealand citizens in the year to May 2024 is significant, it is currently offset by a near-record inflow of migrants who are likely more highly qualified than the average New Zealander. Read more

Wellington (Wednesday, 17 July 2024) - The New Zealand Initiative today welcomed the government’s intention, stated in the Draft Emissions Reduction Plan, to rely on the Emissions Trading Scheme to achieve the Zero Carbon Act’s goal of net zero emissions from 2050. But it also urged measures that would strengthen the ETS. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton talks to Sean Plunket on The Platform about the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill. Watch below:

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The New Zealand Initiative's Executive Director Dr Oliver Hartwich and Senior Fellow Dr Matthew Birchall discuss Matthew's research note Driving Change: How road pricing can improve our roads. Read Driving Change here. Read more

Wellington (Wednesday, 10 July 2024) - The New Zealand Initiative is urging the government to abandon the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill, warning that the proposed legislation could harm the very news organisations it aims to help. In a new research note, the Initiative argues that the bill, which would require large digital platforms to negotiate payment for news content with New Zealand media companies, is based on flawed premises and risks significant unintended consequences. Read more