Reports & Media

Dr Eric Crampton interviews Client Service Lead for Milestone Solutions, Scott Wilson, in this follow up interview to their discussion about transport funding and getting roads built. In this episode they talk about the history of how New Zealand funded and financed roads, and the structures of getting roads approved. Read more

Are Māori dying earlier because they are Māori? Do Māori lead less healthy lives because they are being discriminated against? Read more

Jonathan Ayling is the chief executive of the Free Speech Union. We talked to him about the state of free speech in New Zealand; and whether or not it's under threat. Read more

Oliver Hartwich is joined by Retail NZ CEO, Greg Harford, to discuss the pressures retailers are facing in the current economic climate - crime, inflation, fair pay agreements, increasing costs of doing business, labour shortages, and Covid. To listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more

Oliver Hartwich talks with Professor David Rozado from Otago Polytechnic about his research in positive/negative sentiment words and terms loaded with political connotations in academia and news/opinion articles from news media outlets. To view Professor Rozado's twitter feed click here. Read more

Michael Johnston discusses improving our childrens' reading and writing with Belinda Blick-Duggan and Dr Helen Walls. Click here to view a range of content that teachers and parents can use to improve childrens' handwriting. Read more

Elizabeth Rata is a professor in the School of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland. We talked to her about the nature of science; her theory of 'neo-tribal capitalism'; and why 'partial loyalty' might be crucial to liberal democracy. Read more

Scott Wilson joins Eric Crampton and Matthew Birchall to discuss the petrol excise holiday, sustainability of the land transport funding system, and what better options might be for the funding and financing of New Zealand roads in the future. To listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more

There are many pressing problems facing New Zealand, but none more urgent than the decay of our once great education system. Every time a young person leaves school without basic literacy and numeracy, it is a travesty. Read more

Oliver Hartwich and Dennis Wesselbaum discuss Germany's outlook. To listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more

Central banks globally have made serious monetary policy mistakes, and to restore credibility, they must acknowledge and correct those mistakes. Oliver Hartwich interviews co-authors Graeme Wheeler and Bryce Wilkinson about their new policy paper How central bank mistakes after 2019 led to inflation. Read more

Director of Economics for the Infrastructure Commission, Peter Nunns, talks to Eric Crampton, Chief Economist for The New Zealand Initiative, about his research on the size and scope of local government, as well as funding and financing mechanisms. For more, please read the Infrastructure Commission’s report, authored by Peter Nunns and Nadine Dodge, “Does size matter? The impact of local government structure on cost efficiency.” Read the podcast transcript here. Read more

Oliver Hartwich interviews historians James Kierstead and Matthew Birchall, two new colleagues at the Initiative. To listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton and Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, discuss New Zealand's change in legislation for vaping products. To listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more

Declining literacy is a contributor to low productivity and New Zealand's students have been let down by the education system. In this podcast Dr Michael Johnston and Amanda Boyd discuss the Ministry of Education's plan to introduce new NCEA requirements and what this means for students, schools and businesses. Read more