Today could see another historic milestone for the New Zealand economy. Unemployment is expected to fall from its current level of 3.2 percent, which is already the lowest since records began. Read more
In 2010, the National-led government launched a rather substantial experiment. Auckland City’s smaller councils were forced to amalgamate into a supercity structure. 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
New Zealand has opened its borders to international visitors - but what does it mean for the country's economy? Dubai Eye ask Dr. Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director, The New Zealand Initiative. 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
The chickens of negligence have come home to roost – but they’re not welcome in the Henhouse of Education. As we wrote in Insights last week, in a pilot of new literacy and numeracy assessments for NCEA, only two thirds of assessed students met a basic standard of adult numeracy and reading ability. Read more
The Initiative’s reports often attract media attention. Nothing, however, could have prepared us for the storm following the release of How central bank mistakes after 2019 led to inflation. Read more
It isn’t crazy to claim that New Zealand’s school system lacks ambition. Or, if it is, our shop has been crazy for a while. Read more
Wellington (Thursday, 28 July 2022): In response to criticism of the Reserve Bank’s performance over the past four years, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance have accused critics of applying ‘hindsight economics’. Nothing could be further from the truth. Read more
Whiplash occurs when the body is moving fast in one direction and is abruptly jerked back in the opposite direction. It can be very painful, lethal even. 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
The Platform's Sean Plunket interviewed Bryce Wilkinson on his latest report How central bank mistakes after 2019 led to inflation. To read the report click here. Read more
The New Zealand Initiative recently commented on a pilot of new reading, writing and numeracy assessments for NCEA. Just a third of students participating in the pilot met the standard for writing. Read more
Belief that interest should be reinstated on student loans to allow learners to borrow more while studying. One economist says because the Government is subsidising the interest costs of student borrowing, it's up against lending constraints. Read more
Since 2019, central banks have presided over perhaps the largest monetary stimulus the world has ever seen. Despite this, the surge in inflation surprised them. Read more