This week, Stuff reported on a story that seemed so absurd, it caught our attention: the idea to fence a pool on a remote island, just meters away from the Pacific Ocean. On Motukawaiti Island, 3.5km off Northland’s coast, authorities have mandated that a small swimming pool be enclosed. Read more
“And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost.” Gandalf This week and last week, The Listener ran five articles revisiting New Zealand’s economic reforms from 1984 to 1993. Four of those articles had little good to say about them, or the people who led them with such clarity, courage and determination. Read more
In this episode, Oliver and Michael discuss recent education reform recommendations in NZ, focusing on the development of a knowledge-rich curriculum and evidence-based teaching practices. Michael, who chaired the Ministerial Advisory Group that made these recommendations, defends the proposed changes against various criticisms and emphasizes that they are based on scientific research about effective learning, not political ideology. Read more
The government’s draft Emissions Budget gets a few important things right. It abandons measures like subsidies for electric vehicles that, perhaps counterintuitively, cannot reduce net national emissions. Read more
New Zealand has long enjoyed its reputation as one of the world's most transparent and business-friendly nations. Does it deserve this reputation? Read more
Australians are accustomed to a much deeper and more diverse media landscape than New Zealanders. Across the ditch, the media ecosystem can be startlingly shallow. Read more
Wellington (Wednesday, 17 July 2024) - The New Zealand Initiative today welcomed the government’s intention, stated in the Draft Emissions Reduction Plan, to rely on the Emissions Trading Scheme to achieve the Zero Carbon Act’s goal of net zero emissions from 2050. But it also urged measures that would strengthen the ETS. Read more
Policy problems should be dealt with by the level and part of government best placed to deal with them. Good public policy should recognise subsidiarity. Read more
I wonder whether Media Minister Paul Goldsmith appreciates the problem that he has caused for the tech sector, for media companies, for himself, and for his government. Before the election, National Party spokesperson Melissa Lee condemned Labour’s Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill. Read more
New Zealand has an opportunity to reform its transport system. Road pricing can help create a smarter, more efficient transport network across our cities and highways. Read more
Last Thursday, as any readers not currently residing under rocks will know, there was a general election in the UK. Labour won big, earning the second largest parliamentary majority in the party’s history. Read more
My fellow Americans, I used to carry around this little book. Or maybe it was a big book. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton talks to Sean Plunket on The Platform about the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill. Watch below:
Read more
Folks, let me tell you about this thing, this beautiful, incredible thing we have. It’s called the Constitution. Read more
The New Zealand Initiative's Executive Director Dr Oliver Hartwich and Senior Fellow Dr Matthew Birchall discuss Matthew's research note Driving Change: How road pricing can improve our roads. Read Driving Change here. Read more