Reports & Media

This webinar launches "Owning Less to Achieve More: Refocusing Kāinga Ora", a report by Dr Bryce Wilkinson arguing that government should fund people, not property. Hosted by Dr Oliver Hartwich and featuring the Rt Hon Sir Bill English (former Prime Minister; chair of the 2024 Independent Review of Kāinga Ora), the discussion explores how separating funding from ownership through voucher-style support, releasing under-utilised land, and diversifying providers could lift housing outcomes, restore fiscal sustainability, and empower tenants—drawing on OECD practice and New Zealand’s social investment approach. Read more

Wellington (Thursday, 16 October 2025) - Why does the government need to continue owning or managing more than 77,000 housing units, given its poor track record in this area, especially when state assistance can be provided without extensive government ownership? And why does it not release more land for housing? Read more

Mike Hosking discussedour new report on Newstalk ZB with Rt Hon Sir Bill English, who contributed the foreword to the report, which finds that Kāinga Ora's 77,000 homes cost taxpayers twice as much as the private sector and advocates for greater tenant choice of landlord. Sir Bill, who previously led the independent review of Kāinga Ora, explained that smaller-scale housing providers of around 5,000 homes demonstrate better economies of scale and tenant outcomes than Kāinga Ora's centralised model. Read more

Nick Clark talked to Ryan Bridge on Newstalk ZB about improving local government voter turnout and council effectiveness. He argued that smaller, more localised councils with stronger mayoral powers and better accountability mechanisms could increase engagement, pointing to Switzerland's model of thousands of local government units as a potential alternative to New Zealand's consolidation approach. Read more

Nick Clark talked to Jack Tame on Q+A about the record-low voter turnout in local elections, arguing councils need stronger mayors, better funding tools, and freedom from central government interference to restore public engagement. He advocated for incentive-based funding mechanisms like GST sharing on building consents while expressing concerns about the government's proposed rates capping, warning it could lead to infrastructure deficits and higher debt. Read more

In this episode, Oliver talks to Michael Johnston about New Zealand's productivity paradox and why the country underperforms economically despite having strong institutions. They discuss lessons from small European countries like Switzerland, Ireland, Denmark, and the Netherlands, exploring how factors like decentralisation, foreign direct investment, trade integration, and national culture could help improve New Zealand's economic performance. Read more

On Newstalk ZB, Mike Hosking recommended Roger Partridge's the New Zealand Herald article on bank capital requirements, explaining the context of Adrian Orr's policy requiring banks to hold significant reserves - which banks argued contributed to higher mortgage costs. Hosking outlined Partridge's criticism that the Reserve Bank Board's government-ordered review of these requirements was done improperly and essentially solved nothing. Read more