Reports & Media

This episode of the Freely Speaking podcast features executive director Oliver Hartwich, chief economist Eric Crampton, senior economist Matt Burgess and senior fellow Bryce Wilkinson. The team unpicks the strange lack of deep conversation in New Zealand and why Kiwis seem so reluctant to talk about the big issues. Read more

In this episode of the New Zealand Initiative’s “Freely Speaking” podcast, around the table is executive director Oliver Hartwich, chief economist Eric Crampton, senior economist Matt Burgess and senior fellow Bryce Wilkinson. The team unpacks the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s curious steps into climate change politics and mulls over the central bank's real mandate. Read more

In this week’s New Zealand initiative podcast, a speech by Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr touched on climate change and social transformation as part of his thinking in achieving future financial stability. But the content of the speech caught the attention of analyst Matt Burgess not necessarily for what was said, but what the governor left out. Read more

In this week’s New Zealand Initiative podcast, the delayed election is finally decided. But the next term for a Labour majority government will be tough as it wrestles with the consequences of Covid-19. Read more

In this week’s New Zealand Initiative podcast Briar Lipson responds to criticism and praise for her report about education. The responses were as varied as the groups speaking out. Read more

In this week’s New Zealand Initiative podcast, as the country prepares to weather what could be a particularly bad recession, it needs plenty of good ideas. Unfortunately, those good ideas are few and far between. Read more

In this week’s New Zealand Initiative podcast, Briar Lipson isolates how the idea of child centred orthodoxy is the key ideology responsible for New Zealand’s educational decline. It is not a Kiwi idea. Read more

In this week’s New Zealand Initiative podcast, the country’s education system keeps slipping in standards and producing students who can barely solve the simplest sums or read basic instructions. But without solid and reliable data on how New Zealand schools are actually faring, it’s hard to make pinpoint effective changes. Read more

In this week’s New Zealand Initiative podcast, a scheduled release of the second quarter GDP statistics revealed the country’s economy dropped 12%, rather than the feared 16%. But coupled with the government’s money printing plans, the true state of the New Zealand economy is tough to judge at this point. Read more

In this week’s New Zealand Initiative podcast, a new report on the state of civics knowledge in New Zealand reveals Kiwis have a bit of work to do before the election next month. Simply put, New Zealanders don’t know how lucky they are that their government works so well even though they don’t know much about it. Read more

In this week’s New Zealand Initiative podcast, the world’s media is closely watching how Sweden’s tackling of the Covid-19 virus plays out. It appears the Nordic country has opted for a herd immunity strategy, as opposed to elimination or containment. Read more

In this week’s New Zealand Initiative podcast, a second lockdown in the country’s largest city continues. The question of what might be happening to businesses as a consequence, however, is hard to answer. Read more

While the Government works to plug the gaps to help achieve its elimination strategy, opposition political party National has released its own high-level policy for border protection. It is light on the details so far, but chief economist Eric Crampton says it sets out a workable framework which is worth adding to the pool of ideas for what to do about the border. Read more

Using a previously-developed analysis tool, a new report by policy analyst Joel Hernandez has tackled the question of whether private schools are worth the high cost. His results? Read more

The Pharmaceutical Management Agency, or Pharmac, was founded in 1993 and over time has mostly achieved its goals to lower the cost of medicines for Kiwis. Dr Bryce Wilkinson’s major new report on the agency – Pharmac: the right prescription? Read more