Misinformation about the pending Regulatory Standards Bill is rife. Currently, there is no Bill, only a departmental discussion document. Read more
Democracy rarely dies suddenly. It often erodes slowly as previously unthinkable developments become normalised, one bit at a time. Read more
David Harvey’s thoughtful critique in Law News of my report for The New Zealand Initiative, Who Makes the Law? Reining in the Supreme Court,[i] highlights the importance of addressing judicial overreach.[ii] The retired District Court judge agrees with the report’s conclusions that recent Supreme Court decisions raise legitimate concerns. Read more
We can only hope that New Zealand’s politicians had a good break over the summer because 2025 promises to be a hell of a ride. If the government thought last year was tough, this year will be even more demanding. Read more
When Newsroom’s editor Jonathan Milne invited me to write one of two special pieces for the summer break, I faced quite the conundrum. My options were to review a work of non-fiction or write a column about hope and optimism for 2025. Read more
Something is seriously wrong with New Zealand’s public wealth. We rank near the top globally for per-capita resources and assets - ahead of most OECD nations. Read more
1 INTRODUCTION AND MAIN POINTS 1.1 This submission on the Ministry for Regulation’s Discussion Document on the proposed Regulatory Standards Bill is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. In combination, our members employ more than 150,000 people. Read more
Insights 48 / 20 December: A year of hard truths Insights 47 / 13 December: Undue restrictions | Making Local Government Work | A predictable surprise Insights 46 / 6 December: A top think tank | NZ classroom disruption | A crate day Insights 45 / 29 November: More fiscal largesse | Simple congestion charging | An innovative approach Insights 44 / 22 November: Budget 2025 | The congestion question | Consumer protection adventures Insights 43 / 15 November: The next generation | Truancy all too familiar | Strange German addictions Insights 42 / 8 November: Trump's victory | Pathways to apprenticeships | Access granted, ethics denied Insights 41 / 1 November: Not liking these odds | Deceased property rights | Monkey economics Insights 40 / 25 October: Local government woes | Doing rangatiratanga | Seven days in Nepal Insights 39 / 18 October: Who makes the law? | Opening to investment | Absurd Beehive theatre Insights 38 / 11 October: RBNZ's glossy façade | ACC reform | NZ's creative lobby Insights 37 / 4 October: A better tax conversation | Consequences of bullying | Government tackles WFH Insights 36 / 27 September: RMA replacement phase | Cost of tax | Pavlova's identity crisis Insights 35 / 20 September: Free insurance costs | Expanded mayoral powers | Bureaucratic heroes Insights 34 / 13 September: Teacher education dilemma | Demystifying the state | UK Cabinet shakeup Insights 33 / 6 September: Uber ruling | Government ownership | ComCom’s green crusade Insights 32 / 30 August: Electric market lessons | Defending democracy | Stupid outrage industry Insights 31 / 23 August: The open academy | Councils support localism | Rock star returns Insights 30 / 16 August: Path to better care | Puzzling OCR reduction | Efficient policing Insights 29 / 9 August: Maths education measures | Revenue sharing | Square root of nonsense Insights 28 / 2 August: Concerning specialist residential schools | Repealing speech | The chameleon party Insights 27 / 26 July: Emigrating Kiwis | Where is the Commissioner | Health NZ's bitter pill Insights 26 / 19 July: Path to net-zero | Forty years on | Absurdity in the asylum Insights 25 / 12 July: A smarter way | Out of proportion | Lost in constitution | Tremendous constitutional address Insights 24 / 5 July: West in Crisis | RMA Reform Progress | Shortland Street Subsidies Insights 23 / 27 June: Overdue reckoning | Knowledge-rich curriculum | It's not easy, being local Insights 22 / 21 June: Well-being and safety | Knowledge is critical | The flightless fiasco Insights 21 / 14 June: Open for investment | Charter schools' sequel | Losing an election Insights 20 / 7 June: D-Day's legacy | Public inquiry needed | Trump talks NZ Insights 19 / 31 May: Inflation budget charade | Unlocking growth | Free speech panel Insights 18 / 24 May: New Caledonia's troubles | Housing mess | Bridges burned Insights 17 / 17 May: Our universities' future | The tikanga challenge | The T20 takeover Insights 16 / 10 May: A shovel-ready autopsy | School phone ban | City saviours Insights 15 / 3 May: Defending speech | Belt and Road | Email from Vice-Chancellor Insights 14 / 26 April: A philosopher's legacy | Liberalising GMO regulations | Epitaph for nonsense Insights 13 / 19 April: NZ's productivity puzzle | For a better fast-track | Believe it, maybe Insights 12 / 12 April: Retreating for good | Bigger is better | ComCom antics Insights 11/ 5 April: A new approach to funding school property? Read more
In this episode, Oliver, Eric and Michael reflect on New Zealand's key policy achievements in 2024, including education reform, housing policy changes, and foreign direct investment liberalisation, while discussing the significant economic challenges facing the country. They explore Ireland's successful foreign investment strategy, necessary reforms to address structural deficits, and New Zealand's position in international trade, ending with optimism about education improvements planned for 2025. Read more
If one word could sum up 2024, “sobering” might be it. This week’s final economic data for the year – from Treasury’s half-year update to yesterday’s GDP numbers – reads like the opposite of a Christmas wish list. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston talks to Heather du Plessis Allan on Newstalk ZB about new government legislation requiring universities to adopt freedom of speech statements and preventing them from taking positions on issues outside their core functions. Dr Johnston says while universities already have free speech obligations, the new legislation will provide needed complaints procedures and could help address what he sees as cultural problems in universities, though it isn't a complete solution. Read more
Academic freedom is a hot topic at the moment. The coalition agreement required universities to have academic freedom policies to receive government funding. Read more
In this episode, Eric talks to Chief Derek Epp of the Ch'iyáqtel (Tzeachten) First Nation about how his community gained extensive autonomy through Canada's First Nations fiscal institutions, enabling them to control their own zoning, development, and taxation. Chief Epp explains how this framework helped his 750-member band transform from 90% federal dependency to 90% own-source revenue, manage 900 acres serving thousands of non-indigenous residents, restore traditional practices like fish weirs, and become a valued development partner to neighbouring municipalities. Read more
The New Zealand Treasury's latest forecasts and the Government's Budget Policy Statement (BPS) are disquieting. Public debt management looks lax and possibly illegal, government spending entrenches excess rather than tackles it, and productivity growth measures are welcome but piecemeal. Read more
One week after the American election, Trump-advisor Elon Musk tweeted a 2023 video outlining Trump’s plans for higher education. Trump is erratic. Read more