Public Forums

The New Zealand Initiative is set to launch its third report on New Zealand’s housing affordability crisis. Outlining a series of policy recommendations, it aims to put ownership once again within reach of the average Kiwi family. Read more

We invite you to meet Richard Hooper – a world expert on effective policy making and good regulatory design. Effective policy making and better regulation are both front of mind at present – particularly since the New Zealand Productivity Commission’s recent paper on regulatory institutions and practices. Read more

John Morris and Rose Patterson have been investigating the factors influencing the quality of New Zealand’s teaching profession. Join us for the launch of their first report in a series of three. Read more

LGNZ and The New Zealand Initiative invite you to a panel discussion on alternative options to enable stronger local economies throughout New Zealand By international standards, New Zealand has one of the world's most centralised forms of government. In other OECD economies, local government runs health and police services, accounts for the majority of public investment, and typically controls a third of public spending. Read more

Come along and listen to some of New Zealand’s top university debaters battle over the moot: If you’re young and ambitious you should leave New Zealand. We'll have panellists Stephen Franks of Franks Ogilvie and Minister of Education Hekia Parata. Read more

Come along and listen to some of New Zealand’s top university debaters battle over the moot: Alcohol should not be taxed more than soft drinks. We'll have panellists Rose Patterson and political commentator and blogger David Farrar. Read more

Come along and listen to some of New Zealand’s top university debaters battle over the moot: New Zealand should be going for population growth. We'll have panellists Julian Darby of Russell Investments and Nevil Gibson of The National Business Review. Read more

Both Australia and New Zealand pride themselves on their egalitarianism: being classless societies where everyone gets a fair go and where people are the masters of their own fate. But is this still the case? Read more

With the asset sales agenda progressing, it is useful to ask: if the partial privatisation of our state-owned enterprises is such a good idea, why are so many people against it? Do privatisations deliver the benefits promised by politicians, and if not, why not? Read more

Barely a week passes when housing in New Zealand is not in the news. Either because house prices are too high or impressive gains are being made. Read more

Dr Bryce Wilkinson launches our first report, New Zealand's Global Links: Foreign Ownership and the Status of New Zealand's Net International Investment The report provides a one-stop-shop for statistics on New Zealand's investment patterns. In particular, it shows that: Despite popular myth, New Zealanders actually earn more than they spend. Read more

Have we spent too much for too long? Are the clever financial instruments that were supposed to prop up the system starting to buckle? Read more

Watch the University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington battle it out with the moot: This house believes that we need higher taxes on the rich.  Read more

Watch the Victoria University of Wellington and University of Canterbury battle it out with the moot: Issue of the minimum wage and whether it makes for a fair start in the workforce. Read more

Shaping the Policy Agenda Lessons from a Kiwi think tanker working in Europe. Shane Frith is a New Zealand politician and political activist. Read more