Wellington (19 May 2016): Wellington’s historic buildings help make Wellington a wonderful city. But they also pose a deadly threat in case of an earthquake. Read more
Wellington (18 May 2016): The New Zealand Initiative has welcomed calls to scrap Auckland’s urban growth boundary, saying the evidence unambiguously shows that these sorts of policies artificially push the costs of housing up. This comes after Labour Housing Spokesman Phil Twyford today said his party would abolish Auckland’s city limits should it be voted into government. Read more
Interview held during the Portfolio Construction Forum in Auckland. Read more
Imagine if the New Zealand Rugby Union’s collective agreement with players mirrored the agreements negotiated by the teachers’ unions. The pay scale for teachers has all teachers starting on more or less the same salary, and stepping up in small increments over seven years or so to a fixed maximum. Read more
It is bad enough when the government compulsorily acquires your house for a public purpose, like building a road or railway line. Sure, the government will hopefully pay a bit more than the going market rate for the property. Read more
The Overseas Investment Act 2005 is a piece of national legislation doused in controversy. It is complex, time-consuming, and difficult to navigate. Read more
The first rule of journalism is that “dog bites man” is not news. But “man bites dog” is worth a news story, an editorial demanding government do something about it, and an in depth feature exploring the motivations of the biter. Read more
Wellington (12 May 2016): If the Government is committed to the goal of having a smoke-free New Zealand by 2025, a thorough debate about the regulations of e-cigarettes needs to be held, says The New Zealand Initiative. The Health of the State report, released by The New Zealand Initiative in April, looks at public health and lifestyle regulations. Read more
Replace the word London for Auckland and you could be forgiven for thinking that The Economist was writing a lament about housing affordability in New Zealand’s biggest city. In an article titled “Little London”, the magazine notes that soaring property prices are dragging on the city’s economy. Read more
History offers great value in learning. But sometimes its lessons are too difficult to understand and apply – even for those who have written the history books. Read more
History offers great value in learning. But sometimes its lessons are too difficult to understand and apply – even for those who have written the history books. Read more
Remember social bonds? Or Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) as they are known internationally? Read more
Many of New Zealand’s future surgeons, scientists and teachers are right now sitting in front of an adult charged with teaching them the skills and knowledge that will help them in their post-school careers. In this way, would it be far-fetched to conclude that teachers have one of the most important jobs in New Zealand? Read more
Donald Trump is a demagogue and a proud ignoramus. Knowing nothing of the detail of policy, even in its broadest take, would be bad enough. Read more
