Transport policy increasingly resembles a culture war, with Lycra-clad cycling enthusiasts pitted against V8-loving, gas-guzzling motorists. To put it another way, Kiwis are either champions of light rail or proponents of Roads of National Significance. Read more
In this episode, Oliver has a conversation with a special guest Viktor Vavricka, the Swiss ambassador to New Zealand. They have a wide-ranging discussion about localism from a Swiss perspective. Read more
Emeritus Professor Des Gorman spoke to Corin Dann on RNZ , calling for urgent action to secure the GP workforce and expand their role. Listen below. Read more
According to Stats NZ, the 2023 average gender pay gap across the entire New Zealand workforce was 8.6 per cent. The gap has not shifted much in recent years. Read more
The New Zealand Initiative Calls for Immediate Action to Retain and Expand the GP Workforce Following Recent Study Wellington (Monday, 11 March 2024) - Considering a recent study highlighting the severe limitations on general practice enrolments due to capacity issues, The New Zealand Initiative urges a renewed focus on retaining the existing GP workforce and expanding their roles and functions. This call to action reinforces the Initiative’s work to address New Zealand's healthcare challenges, as outlined in its report, "Lifeline for Health: Meeting New Zealand’s Need for General Practitioners," which was released in August last year. Read more
The Sen̓áḵw development near downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, won’t quite be a city within the city. But it will be close. Read more
On Monday, Transport Minister Simeon Brown released the long-awaited draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport. The GPS outlines the Government’s priorities for investment in New Zealand’s transport network over the next ten years and how it expects NZTA and local authorities to manage the $7 billion annual National Land Transport Fund. Read more
Readers will no doubt be aware of the WEF and of the many interesting and informative articles and posts about the organisation that can be found online. You may be aware, for example, that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as well as being the secret love child of Fidel Castro, is a WEF puppet. Read more
Last week, we applauded Housing Minister Chris Bishop for his housing policy proposals. Incentives for councils to promote growth perfectly match Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s repeated calls for localism. Read more
Oliver and Matthew discuss NZ's infrastructure deficit, delivery and management which was the subject of Matthew's last column in the NZ Herald "Deficit obsession ignores abysmal state of Kiwi infrastructure delivery". To listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more
Last month’s Legal Research Foundation conference commemorating the Supreme Court’s 20th anniversary could mark a turning point for New Zealand’s highest court. Or at least it should if the Supreme Court justices were listening. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton joins Emile Donovan on RNZ to talk about rates and explore alternative options. Listen below. Read more
In this episode, Eric talks to Danyl Mclauchlan, one of NZ's top political writers who is often featured in The New Zealand Listener and on Substack. He has written recently on turmoil in Wellington's pipe network and writes more broadly on the state of politics and the state of the polity. Read more
All eyes are on Europe as the Russian onslaught continues, Ukraine runs out of ammunition, and America’s upcoming election induces paralysis. Will the continent stand up to the challenge? Read more
Last year, the Initiative released a report on administrative bloat at New Zealand universities. It showed that the majority of staff at New Zealand universities are non-academics, and that this has been the case for quite some time. Read more