Government is present in most aspects of our lives. It taxes and spends more than a third of our economic output. It employs hundreds of thousands of people. It regulates the way New Zealanders can work, travel, do business, and interact with one another.
Our research focuses on how the will of Parliament interacts with society, whether legislation is fit for purpose, and whether certain policy settings can be improved.
The actions of previous political administrations can inspire current and future governments. But if they are based more on myth than reality, the risk creating false impressions that can lead to poor public policy.
This report warns of a looming constitutional crisis in New Zealand, as the Supreme Court increasingly oversteps its bounds, threatening the balance of power between the courts and Parliament. The report, "Who Makes the Law? Read more
1.1 This submission to the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) on the 2024 ACC Levy Consultation 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
A new survey reveals that local councils across New Zealand want more power to make decisions for their communities, rather than having rules set by the central government in Wellington. The New Zealand Initiative, an independent think tank, surveyed New Zealand's mayors, councillors, and council chief executives. Read more
Canada’s devolution of health services to First Nations provides a strikingly different way of thinking about localism, according to Dr Eric Crampton, Chief Economist with the New Zealand Initiative. “Canada’s central government has long provided, under treaty, a ‘medicine chest’ of funded services to First Nations peoples. Read more
The New Zealand Initiative has released a new research note examining how to implement revenue-sharing between central and local government, a policy the think tank has advocated for since 2013 and which the Government has now committed to pursue. The research note, titled 'Revenue Share' for Housing, explores options for councils to receive a portion of tax revenue from new housing developments, addressing New Zealand's persistent housing shortage. Read more
The United States offers a stark warning of the consequences of an activist judiciary. The outsized role of the U.S. Read more
Roger Partridge talked to Emile Donovan on RNZ Nights about the Supreme Court overstepping its bounds, the subject of his latest report. Listen below. Read more
Stephen Franks talked to Ryan Bridge on Newstalk ZB about the Initiative's latest report on the Supreme Court. Listen below. Read more
On his show Canterbury Mornings on Newstalk ZB, John MacDonald discussed Roger Partridge's latest report about Supreme Court overreach with his listeners. Listen below. Read more
Fertility rates have been dropping for a very long time, but the recent plunge is precipitous. Neil Johnson, Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Flinders University, took us through the numbers at a panel session for Fertility Counts Aotearoa at Parliament last week. Read more