Reports & Media

Heather Du Plessis-Allan discussed how Finance Minister Nicola Willis excluded several organisations, including The New Zealand Initiative, from the budget lock-up on Newstalk ZB. She expressed disappointment with this decision, noting that the people at the New Zealand Initiative are "incredibly bright" and their scrutiny would benefit the country. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich talked to Ryan Bridge on Newstalk ZB about the government's increased capital spending, describing it as "a relatively minor announcement" and "a drop in the government's ocean."

Dr Hartwich also discussed the potential for asset recycling, suggesting the government could sell state-owned companies in the energy sector and its Air New Zealand stake, and noted that the retention of the R&D tax credit provides certainty for businesses already using the scheme. Listen below Read more

In this episode, James and Michael discuss how the Education Training Amendment Bill transforms school governance in New Zealand. They examine the bill's shift to make student learning the paramount objective for school boards, new requirements to address truancy through attendance management plans, and enhanced assessment standards to improve educational outcomes. Read more

John MacDonald on Newstalk ZB discussed the pros and cons of MMP, referencing the Initiative's analysis that proportional representation is a strength while voter understanding is a weakness. The Initiative's research from a 2020 report was cited, which found that fewer than half of voters understand the rules governing how parties gain parliamentary representation. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton talked to Matt Heath and Tyler Adams on Newstalk ZB about the proposed social media ban for under sixteens in New Zealand. Dr Crampton discussed the mixed evidence on social media harms, the benefits for young people, and explained why implementing such a ban would inevitably create problematic trade-offs between ease of circumvention, adult user convenience, and online privacy. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton talked to Sean Plunket on The Platform about the proposed social media ban for under-16s in Australia and similar potential legislation in New Zealand. Dr Crampton discussed the practical challenges of implementing such bans, explaining the "trilemma" of any potential implementation system having at least one undesirable property: either being easy for kids to circumvent, burdensome for adult users, or ending internet privacy. Read more

Mike Hosking highlighted Dr Oliver Hartwich's article in The Australian on Newstalk ZB, mentioning that the New Zealand Initiative's executive director compared Australia's current political situation to New Zealand's experience. Hosking described the piece as "well worth reading" where Dr Hartwich examined how Labour was "unceremoniously ejected" from power in New Zealand, concluding with reflections on democratic accountability as "both the frustration and the glory of democracy." Listen below. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich talked to Michael Laws on The Platform about New Zealand's unpreparedness for its rapidly ageing population. Dr Hartwich explained that regulatory barriers are preventing retirement villages from expanding quickly enough to meet demand, which could result in elderly patients overwhelming the hospital system. Read more