As minister for heath, Jonathan Coleman is responsible for the single biggest item in the New Zealand government’s budget. The lunch meeting with Minister Coleman will be a good opportunity to hear not only about his plans for health policy but also about the government’s stance on lifestyle regulations. Read more

Local government plays an important role, one that is often overlooked. When things like roading and recycling work well, they are barely noticed. Read more

Following on from the success of last year’s event, and a year out from the next election, this is a great opportunity to meet leading Labour politicians and privately discuss policy issues of common interest. About the speaker Andrew Little was elected to Parliament in 2011, and Labour Party leader in 2014. Read more

"In a connected world no man is an island and neither is his country” Economies and workforces are now globalised with wealth generation determined by the connectivity of national infrastructures, industrial investment and workforce adaptability. Unfortunately, history gives us little guidance to our future as we have never before enjoyed such technological riches or endured the accelerating rates of change! Read more

Come along and listen to some of New Zealand’s top university debaters battle over the moot: This house believes New Zealand should accommodate 60,000 refugees per year. We have panellists Hon Paul Goldsmith, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (National) and Denise Roche, Spokesperson for Immigration, Pacific Peoples, and Ethnic Affairs (Green Party)

Date: Wednesday, 24 August 2016
Time: 5.30 PM - 8.00 PM
Location: City Gallery Wellington, Civic Square, 101 Wakefield St, Wellington Read more

On 8 November, Americans will elect their 45th President. But this time will not be like any other Presidential election. Read more

Come along and listen to some of New Zealand’s top university debaters battle over the moot: This house would ban religious symbols in public. We have panellists Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy and former TV journalist Lindsay Perigo. Read more

Come along and listen to some of New Zealand’s top university debaters battle it out with the moot: This house would reduce household inequality by banning those with university degrees from marrying each other. We will have panellists Head of Research of The New Zealand Initiative Dr Eric Crampton and Senior Economist at Infometrics Matt Nolan. Read more

On Thursday 14 July, the Initiative hosted Stephen Jennings for a dinner lecture. Jennings, the Taranaki-born economist and investor, has spent the past 24 years outside New Zealand. Read more

Accounting for 30 percent of the population and 35 percent of the economy, Auckland is New Zealand’s dominant city. Whoever will be Auckland’s mayor after October’s local elections, he or she will play an important role for Auckland– and for New Zealand. Read more

Government’s right to compel private owners to sell land for public works makes it easier for the government to build things like roads. A single hold-out owner along the route’s most logical path could otherwise hold the government to ransom. Read more

The economic integration of the Asia-Pacific region has been a major success story of the last few decades, with overseas trade helping lift a quarter of a billion people from poverty to middle income. Now trade growth is slowing, the demographic dividend is over, and technology is disrupting. Read more

The New Zealand Initiative welcomes you to a panel discussion on the rise of ‘lifestyle regulations’. While we may be used to policies that address the negative outcomes of smoking, we now see policies aimed at what you eat and drink too. Read more

Canadian and New Zealand responses to last October’s refugee crisis could not have been more different. Kiwis who wanted to help Syrian refugees did admirable work in preparing for those refugees that New Zealand did accept. Read more

Our Retreat is the chance to discuss social and economic issues with members and bring those issues to the attention of New Zealand’s leading politicians. Please contact Chelsy at chelsy.blair@nzinitiative.org.nz for further information. Read more