When the magician on stage flamboyantly waves the handkerchief with his left hand, it’s generally a good idea to keep an eye on what’s going on with the other hand. And I’ve failed that test. Read more
New Zealanders should not be too proud to learn from others. In 2017, The New Zealand Initiative led 36 senior business leaders to visit Switzerland for this purpose. Read more
The term etymology refers to the linguistic origin of a word. An etymological fallacy is committed when the meaning of a modern word is taken to be the same as that of an old word from which it derives. Read more
Sean Plunket talks to economist Eric Crampton from the New Zealand Initiative about GST off fruit and veg.
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In this podcast, the Initiative's director Oliver Hartwich and chief economist Eric Crampton talk about Labour's proposal to take GST off fresh fruit and vegetables. Oh, and frozen ones, too. Read more
This submission in response to the Review of the Emissions Trading Scheme and permanent forestry category changes. In summary, we submit: (a) The Emissions Trading Scheme can usefully be strengthened; (b) The proposed options do not usefully strengthen the ETS. Read more
Another week, another transport policy announcement. On Sunday, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and freshly-minted Transport Minister David Parker released the Government’s preferred option for a second Auckland harbour crossing. Read more
In politics, there are certain things you need to be taken seriously. Some are formal things. Read more
Mike Hosking discusses the Initiative's new research report Lifeline for Health: Meeting New Zealand’s need for General Practitioners. Read more
In this election year, the crisis in New Zealand’s health system stands as one of the nation’s primary concerns. So, on Wednesday, we held our first Health Innovators’ Summit’ in Auckland, kindly sponsored by nib. Read more
New Zealand’s current legislative approach to overseas investment is a mess. It is a mess because it does not focus on what is important – facilitating strong connections to the rest of the world while protecting New Zealand’s sovereignty. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich joins The Panel, Wallace Chapman and panellists Anna Dean and Phil O'Reilly, to discuss accepting Chinese funding for infrastructure projects.
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Dr Michael Johnston joined Michael Goldwaer on The Shape of Dialogue podcast to discuss his report Save our Schools. Read more
New Zealand's general medical practitioners (GPs) are facing a crisis, with a workforce shortage set to worsen over the next decade unless immediate action is taken to support workforce expansion and development. The health of all New Zealanders and the delivery of top-tier healthcare heavily relies on community-based medical care, mainly provided by Specialist GPs and multi-disciplinary health care teams. The introduction of an "accountability-free capitation" has seemingly driven a decline in the hours GPs work by creating a financial incentive to minimize patient service costs, and analyses indicate a significant decrease in the GP to population ratio, and a decline in GP work hours. Read more
Wellington (Wednesday, 9 August 2023) – The New Zealand Initiative has released a report, "Lifeline for Health: Meeting New Zealand’s need for General Practitioners," authored by Emeritus Professor Des Gorman and Dr Murray Horn. It highlights a critical crisis facing New Zealand's general medical practitioners (GPs). Read more