Last week’s government Budget increased projected government operating spending over the next four years by $8.4 billion while projected revenue fell by $10.7 billion. Projected government borrowing rose by $20 billion. Read more
Let’s imagine a computer game, shall we? It is called ‘Master Lobbyist’, and your job is to play the governments of two countries off against each other. Read more
If a lot of the government’s health policy people started looking warmly at homeopathy and other kinds of medical pseudoscience and woo, we’d all recognise that as a problem, right? Maybe we would want to test our intuitions about it. Read more
Join us on a fascinating journey, chugging through the intricate past, present, and future of rail transport in New Zealand. Chief economist Eric Crampton is once again joined by Client Service Lead for Milestone Solutions, Scott Wilson, to dig deep into the ownership structures and incentives that have guided the development of New Zealand's rail system. Read more
Meet the new public health. Same as the old public health. Read more
It is two decades since NCEA became New Zealand’s qualification system for secondary school students. It replaced a very traditional, exam-based system – School Certificate and University Entrance-Bursary. Read more
New Zealand has just received its 2023 Budget. Our Government has a clear predilection for spending. Read more
Budget 2023 included a 20 per cent rebate for game development studios that meet a minimum $250,000 expenditure threshold per year. Individual studios will be able to receive up to $3 million per year in rebate funding, and the $160m scheme will be backdated to April 1, 2023. Read more
Tune into this riveting podcast for a deep-dive into the world of urban planning and infrastructure development in New Zealand! Chief economist Eric Crampton is joined by the Infrastructure Commission’s Nadine Dodge and Peter Nunns to grapple with the complex yet fascinating concept of corridor protection and how foresight is essential to avoid future urban development headaches. Read more
Welcome to the New Zealand Initiative podcast! In this episode, Michael Johnston has a fascinating conversation with Bali Haque, an experienced educator who has held various roles in the education sector. Read more
Perhaps he never quite played in the same league as Trump, Putin and Xi, but Turkey’s long-serving President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is cut from the same strongman cloth. Yet after Sunday’s first-round of Turkish presidential elections, there is a chance his time in power may soon come to an end. Read more
Anyone hoping for an end to the country’s housing affordability crisis should despair. Or at least they should if they live in New Zealand’s largest city. Read more
Sean Plunket talks to Dr. Oliver Hartwich from The New Zealand Initiative - NZ is now a mediocre country. Read more