Last week I received my rates invoice from Christchurch City Council. To my dismay, I learnt that my rates for the city council and regional council combined have increased by 11%. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich was interviewed by Sean Plunket on The Platform about tax cuts coming into play. Watch below. Read more
New Zealand’s government sacked the entire board of Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora) last week, replacing it with a sole commissioner. The move marked more than just another shake-up in the country’s beleaguered health system. Read more
In 1968, ecologist Garrett Hardin argued that the “Tragedy of the Commons” is commonplace. If you wanted to deliberately engineer a commons problem, the management of the Conservation Estate would make for a pretty decent guidebook. Read more
It’s hard not to marvel at Silicon Valley’s technological innovations. But I’m dumbfounded by the social science experiment they’ve been working on. Read more
Health New Zealand has been quite economical lately. I don’t mean ‘economical’ in the fiscal sense, of course. Read more
The record net migration loss of 60,100 New Zealand citizens in the year to May 2024 is an orange warning light for New Zealand. But fears that it represents a worrying brain drain are statistically premature. Read more
1.1 This submission on the “Consultation on the Scope of the Treasury's Long-term Insights Briefing” is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. In combination, our members employ more than 150,000 people. Read more
In this episode, Michael talks to Nick Gibb, former UK Minister for Schools, about education reforms implemented in England over the past decade. The conversation covers various aspects of these reforms, including the introduction of systematic synthetic phonics for reading instruction, changes to the mathematics curriculum, teacher training improvements, and the challenges faced in implementing evidence-based approaches in education. Read more
New Zealand’s most recent Public Services Commissioner announced his retirement in September 2023. He retired in February 2024. 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
In a dramatic move this week, the government replaced the board of Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora) with a commissioner. Dramatic but not much of a surprise. 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
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 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