We can learn a lot from newspapers’ Letters to the Editor pages. This week, I had a column in the Stuff newspapers on the Initiative’s proposed fast-track for new supermarkets. Read more
The United States has the world’s best universities. At least for now. Read more
1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.1 This submission on the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No. 2) is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. Read more
In this episode, Eric talks to Tom Mungham, the former Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, about gambling regulation. Drawing from Ontario's successful experience with online gambling regulation, they explore how New Zealand can learn from and adapt international best practices to create a robust, consumer-friendly regulatory framework that protects both players and market interests. Read more
New Zealand’s economy has a chronic capital problem – and it is getting worse. Over the last 50 years, New Zealand has become one of the most undercapitalised economies in the developed world. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich talked to Heather Du Plessis-Allan on Newstalk ZB about the potential global economic impact of Donald Trump's tariffs. Dr Hartwich highlighted that these tariffs could destabilise global trade for decades, with businesses struggling to plan due to the unpredictable nature of trade policies. Read more
Later this month, our organisation, The New Zealand Initiative, will take a large delegation of top New Zealand business leaders to the Netherlands. It is not a trade mission but an ideas exploration. Read more
There’s an old joke about economists walking past a $20 note on the sidewalk. One says to the other, “If that note were real, someone would have picked it up already.” It could be that the $20 note was a photocopied counterfeit with advertising on the other side. Read more
It is no secret that the government is struggling to balance the country’s books. Yet, in last week’s budget, nearly $2.5 billion was found for new educational initiatives. Read more
Auckland Council has confirmed what many suspected: in most of the city centre, 20 storeys is quite tall enough. We wouldn’t want to frighten ourselves into looking like a real city. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich talked to Nick Cater on Quadcast about the enduring influence of 1940s socialist planning on housing markets in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. Drawing on two decades of research, Dr Hartwich discussed how post-war socialist urban planning ideologies have created persistent housing affordability challenges, while highlighting recent reforms in New Zealand that aim to liberalise planning systems and strengthen property rights. Read more
New Zealanders’ frustration with grocery costs is understandable. When household budgets stretch thin, the instinctive response is to assertively tackle the issue. Read more
Wellington (Thursday, 29 May 2025) - The Government's announcement of sweeping reforms to national direction under the Resource Management Act represents an important interim step toward fixing New Zealand's broken planning system. The reforms include proposed amendments to a suite of existing national direction instruments and several new instruments across three key areas: infrastructure and development, primary sector regulation, and freshwater management. Read more
On 12 May, President Donald Trump's government spending and revenue bill was published. With characteristic panache, the President calls it his “Big Beautiful Bill”. Read more
In this episode, Eric talks to Benno Blaschke about his groundbreaking report proposing a fast-track supermarket entry and expansion omnibus bill that could revolutionise New Zealand's grocery market. They discuss the regulatory barriers preventing new supermarket chains from entering the market and explore a legislative framework that would streamline planning and consenting processes to enable new grocery retailers to establish multiple stores across the country. Read more