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So far this year, the government’s tobacco excise revenue is $164 million below forecast. If that pace continues, the annual shortfall will reach about $225 million. Read more
New Zealand has plenty of reasons for optimism. In a world gripped by anxiety, the country stands at the edge of several extraordinary opportunities. Read more
There is something almost admirable about spending a fortune on roads, pipes, schools and hospitals without quite knowing what state any of them are in. Or, in some cases, where exactly they are. Read more
After five years of stagnation, falling living standards and a cost-of-living crisis that ground down households and businesses, New Zealanders wanted nothing more than a return to normality: a bit of growth, stable prices and the relief of things finally getting better. At the start of 2026, it looked like that might be happening. Read more
Within a fortnight last month, Australia and New Zealand placed opposite bets on their economic futures. The Reserve Bank of Australia raised interest rates to 3.85 per cent. Read more
In this episode, Nick talks with Bryce about the government’s proposed replacement of the Resource Management Act and what it means for property rights. Bryce argues the bills fall short of the government’s stated commitment to property rights, lacking the economic disciplines needed to ensure regulation delivers net benefits for New Zealanders. Read more
In this episode, Oliver talks to retired Major General John Howard about the first week of US–Israel strikes on Iran — what the opening strikes reveal, how Iran is responding, and why the risk of escalation remains real. They then zoom out to the global ripple effects (Russia and Ukraine, China and Taiwan, NATO cohesion) and the practical consequences for New Zealand, from fuel and supply-chain disruption to the need for more proactive national security planning. Read more
A principal who runs a school well does not get to tell parents what to cook for dinner. The authority is real – but it is specific. Read more
From 2007 until about two weeks ago, New Zealand’s regulators considered prediction markets as a kind of futures market. Then the Department of Internal Affairs decided they are gambling. Read more
Wellington (Monday, 2 March 2026) - New Zealand could unlock more than $24 billion for essential infrastructure by recycling mature Crown-owned commercial assets, according to a new report by The New Zealand Initiative. Renovating the Nation: How Asset Recycling Can Help Solve the Infrastructure Deficit, by the Initiative chair Roger Partridge, argues the government should redirect capital tied up in commercial enterprises into hospitals, schools, roads and water systems — without raising taxes or increasing public debt. Read more