Reports & Media

Dr Oliver Hartwich spoke on The Platform's 'Free Speech Fridays' with Sean Plunket and Mark Champion on political controversy, HRC leadership and institutional changes. The discussion covered ministerial remarks, Steven Rainbow's Holocaust memorial speech, changes to public appointments including the Waitangi Tribunal, and media coverage of Treaty principles bill submissions. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton spoke to Sean Plunket on The Platform about privatisation. Watch below. Read more

In this episode, James, Eric and Oliver critique Dame Anne Salmond's Newsroom article that characterises the proposed Regulatory Standards Bill as part of a broader neoliberal agenda to undermine democracy in New Zealand. They challenge both Salmond's immediate criticisms of the bill (which they argue misrepresents its regulatory quality focus) and her broader historical argument linking classical liberal organisations like the Mont Pelerin Society to anti-democratic movements, arguing instead that classical liberalism has historically stood against totalitarianism and for democratic values. Read more

Dr Michael Johnston spoke on RNZ Nights on how New Zealand schools are increasingly adopting Cambridge International qualifications alongside or instead of the national NCEA system, with a 20% increase in Cambridge enrollment in 2024 reaching nearly 8,000 students. The key differences between the systems are that Cambridge relies on end-of-year exams while NCEA focuses on internal assessments throughout the year, with the expert suggesting that while choice is good, New Zealand should ultimately aim to develop NCEA to a quality level that wouldn't necessitate international alternatives. Read more

In this episode, Oliver talks to Bryce about the Regulatory Standards Bill, which aims to prevent laws and regulations that would make New Zealanders worse off. Bryce explains that while there's currently a discussion document out for public feedback from the Ministry of Regulation, some recent criticisms misunderstand what's being suggested. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich was interviewed on Newstalk ZB about Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's announcement of Invest New Zealand, a new foreign investment agency modeled after Ireland's successful IDA Ireland model. He emphasised that while legislative changes could happen quickly, New Zealand needs to shift its mindset from being overly cautious about foreign investment to actively welcoming it, noting how Ireland transformed itself by embracing such investments for economic growth. Read more