I do not get to Münster often these days, but whenever I am there, I feel drawn to its town hall. This is where, in 1648, diplomats signed the Peace of Westphalia. Read more
To many on the political left, the Mont Pelerin Society represents something akin to a spectre. It is frequently portrayed as a secretive cabal of market fundamentalists operating in the shadows to dismantle the state and privatise the public sphere. Read more
Some ideas cost nothing to believe but a great deal to implement. Political commentator Rob Henderson calls them “luxury beliefs” – convictions that signal virtue among the comfortable while imposing very real costs on those with much less room to manoeuvre. Read more
There is something deeply satisfying about watching Nicolás Maduro being hauled from his palace and deposited in a Brooklyn jail cell. The man was a monster. Read more
INTRODUCTION 1.1 The New Zealand Initiative welcomes the opportunity to submit on the Land Transport (Revenue) Amendment Bill. 1.2 The Initiative is a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. Read more
Last week, boxes of fudge arrived at New Zealand’s Parliament. Not as a festive treat, but as a political weapon. Read more
After many difficult years, 2025 felt different. It was not easier. Read more
INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.1 This submission on the Racing Industry (Closure of Greyhound Racing Industry) Amendment Bill 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
Dr Oliver Hartwich spoke with Newstalk ZB about the government's plan to merge the Ministries of Environment, Transport, Housing, Urban Development, and Internal Affairs into a new mega-ministry called MSERD. While he acknowledged the need to consolidate New Zealand's numerous government departments, Dr Hartwich expressed doubts about the timing and effectiveness of this particular merger, drawing comparisons to the challenges faced by the large and complex MBIE. Read more
In this episode, Oliver and Michael reflect on a packed 2025 that brought major policy wins in education, housing, and regulation, while looking ahead to the bigger picture challenges shaping 2026. They cover everything from the Initiative’s Dutch delegation and Prof Barbara Oakley’s visit, to the dramatic early gains in literacy and numeracy under Minister Erica Stanford, the new Resource Management Act, and the work ahead on AI, demographic change, and political polarisation. Read more
Nick Clark spoke with Paul Brennan on Reality Check Radio about the government's proposed replacement of the Resource Management Act. Clark welcomed the new approach's stronger property rights, fewer consents, and standardised zones. Read more
It tasted like a normal glass of milk. Maybe a little bit thinner than I would have expected for the 3 percent fat content advertised on the bottle. Read more
Every year around Christmas time, the government provides a sneak preview of the coming year's budget. At the same time, Treasury provides its take on the state of the books. Read more
A plan typically answers straightforward questions: what is needed, what should be done first, and why. This month, Ministers will receive the Infrastructure Commission’s 30-year National Infrastructure Plan. Read more
In many countries, an educational study claiming a radical improvement in mathematics learning would receive considerable media attention. But not, it seems, in New Zealand. Read more