This is The New Zealand Initiative’s 2026 Prescription for Prosperity. Since 2017, the Initiative has prepared a briefing for the incoming government. Read more

This research note reveals how adding GP clinic data to government databases could transform healthcare outcomes while cutting costs. The research note, “Better health through better data” by Adjunct Fellow Dr Prabani Wood, shows that while government can track hospital visits, prescriptions and even school attendance, it cannot see clearly what happens in GP clinics – where most healthcare occurs. Read more

1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.1 This submission on the Medicines Amendment Bill is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. Read more

This report highlights the economic benefits of investing in general practice, finding significant potential to ease pressure on hospitals and improve patient care. The Heart of Healthcare: Renewing New Zealand's Primary Care System examines the economic case for strengthening GP services, as Health Minister Simeon Brown recently announced initiatives to address GP shortages. 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