The Independent Review of Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities lays bare New Zealand’s housing mess. Decent housing is fundamental to wellbeing. Read more
White sand beaches. Palm trees waving in a gentle breeze. Read more
When lightning strikes thrice, it is time to take notice. The Commerce Commission is only partway through its latest market study – this time into personal banking services. Read more
In this episode, Michael and James talk to Jonathan Rauch, famed American journalist and senior fellow at the Brookings Institute. They discuss the importance of free speech and open debate for the advancement of knowledge and the health of our society. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich talks to Rodney Hide on Reality Check Radio about the highly decentralised Swiss system of local government, where cantons and councils are incentivised to encourage development because they directly receive tax revenues. He contrasts this with the centralisation that has occurred in New Zealand and other Westminster-style countries, leading to issues like housing unaffordability, and suggests New Zealand could adopt Swiss-style reforms to change incentives and improve outcomes. Read more
Chinese Ambassador Wang Xiaolong’s speech at the China Business Summit 2024 in Auckland on Monday was, at first glance, a typical diplomatic address. He extolled the strength of China’s economy, the benefits of bilateral trade, and the importance of the New Zealand-China relationship. Read more
American libertarian author and satirist P.J. O’Rourke used to joke that “Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.” The problem really is one of trust. Read more
Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister for most of 1968 through 1984, and father of the current Canadian Prime Minister, had a wonderful quip about being neighbours with the United States. In a 1969 state visit with President Nixon in Washington, Trudeau said, “Living next to you is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. Read more
While instant gratification reigns supreme and attention spans are shorter than a Tik-Tok video, the grand old game of test cricket finds itself, like the New Zealand economy, on a sticky wicket. The rise of T20, with its frenetic pace, flashy uniforms, and pyrotechnic displays has left the traditional five-day format looking as outdated as a record player. Read more
The Future of Our Universities is now in the past. The long-awaited symposium, hosted by the Initiative, took place on Wednesday at the Royal Society Apārangi in Wellington. Read more
Barrister Gary Judd KC’s complaint to the Regulatory Review Committee has sparked a fierce debate about the place of tikanga Māori – or Māori customs, values and spiritual beliefs – in the law. Judd opposes the New Zealand Council of Legal Education’s plans to make teaching tikanga compulsory in the legal curriculum. Read more
The Government plans to implement road pricing tools like congestion charging and toll roads. This will be an important first step in establishing a more rational transport system. Read more
In this episode, Oliver talks to Dr Murray Horn, former Secretary of the New Zealand Treasury and former CEO of ANZ. They talk about the fiscal challenges facing the new government as it prepares its first budget amidst high inflation, recession, and mounting debt. Read more
For the past six years, I have had the privilege of writing this Newsroom column on any Europe-related topic. While some may appear obscure at first, I always choose topics that I think New Zealanders can benefit from knowing more about. Read more
In this episode, Oliver talks to John Morris, ONZM, an educator and a former footballer who represented NZ on an international level. They discuss the decline of New Zealand's school system in recent decades and the difficulties in reforming it. Read more