What is the purpose of televised leaders’ debates? Ideally, these staples of the political calendar should inform, educate and entertain. Read more
Dr Valerie Sotardi, a Senior Lecturer of Educational Psychology at the University of Canterbury, facilitates this webinar to discuss expert views and opinions on quantitative research in the current education landscape. Joining her in this panel discussion are Dr Michael Johnston, Agate Ponder-Sutton, and Stuart McNaughton. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton talks to RNZ about media funding and regulation. Listen to the interview below. Read more
As we prepare for another election under the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system, it is worth noting that New Zealand is one of the few nations to have adopted this electoral model. The majority of countries still either opt for First-Past-the-Post or purely proportional systems. Another country that uses MMP is my native Germany. Read more
On Newstalk ZB's Early Edition, Dr Eric Crampton talks to Kate Hawkesby about Labour's pledge to help new supermarket retailers and warns against subsidising entry for new chains. Listen to his interview below. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton appeared on The Platform to talk with Sean Plunket about grocery competition and the 'weetbix war' between The Warehouse and Sanitarium. You can find a snippet of their conversation below. Read more
Wellington (Monday, 2 October 2023) - The New Zealand Initiative welcomed today’s announcement that a re-elected Labour government would ease the path for new grocers to enter the New Zealand market. But it also warned against subsidising entry. Read more
Elections are the classic zero-sum game. In a zero-sum game, one person’s gains are necessarily another’s losses. Read more
Imagine a typical New Zealand family. Every couple of weeks, the salary arrives in their bank account. Read more
Retirement spending and the size of the public service as two obvious areas for expenditure cuts. Significant savings are available from the reform of retirement income policy. Read more
Political campaigns often hinge on promises, and the art of selling a vision for the future is a crucial skill for any politician. But what happens when that vision strays deep into the realm of fantasy? Read more
How big is the fiscal deficit problem and how long will it take for our governments to turn it around? Do not be fooled by rosy scenarios of painless correction. Read more
At the Initiative, we have consistently stood up for the rights of random bureaucrats to stop people making harmless choices in their everyday lives. That’s why we were strong supporters of John Key’s decision to ban pseudoephedrine from pharmacies. Read more
History does rhyme, and apocalyptic plays can make a sobering point or two. This government is borrowing heavily to fund current spending. Read more
Dr James Kierstead talks to Dr Michael Johnston about NZ's interesting Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system vs First Past the Post (FFP), in the run-up to the 2023 NZ election. To listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more