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New Zealand's three-year parliamentary term is too short for effective government and the country needs more MPs to keep politicians accessible to voters. “MMP has delivered fairer and more representative parliaments, but it’s time for an upgrade,” says Nick Clark, Senior Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative and author of our report examining 30 years of MMP in New Zealand. Read more

1. SUMMARY 1.1 The Initiative welcomes and supports this inquiry. Read more

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

1. INTRODUCTION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1.1 This submission to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) on its 2025 Review of Bank Capital Requirements (the Review) and accompanying consultation paper (the Consultation paper)1 is made by The New Zealand Initiative, an independent think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. Read more

Canadian First Nations are helping tackle Canada’s housing crisis through council-like authority over their own land. Our new report highlights this proven Canadian turnaround success story and draws lessons for New Zealand. Read more

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has been unfairly scapegoated for the current recession when it was simply doing its job of bringing inflation under control. The research note, Monetary Policy Without Mates, reveals that while the RBNZ fought to tame inflation that peaked at nearly 8%, the government's fiscal policy worked against these efforts – forcing interest rates to stay higher for longer. Read more

1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 This submission on the Electoral Amendment Bill (the Bill) is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative). Read more

New Zealand has one of the most complex systems of executive government in the developed world. With 81 ministerial portfolios, 28 ministers and 43 departments, we have three times as many portfolios and nearly twice as many departments as comparable countries. Read more

1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.1 This submission on the Employment Relations Amendment Bill (the Bill) is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. Read more

The New Zealand Initiative is pleased to submit our comprehensive response to the Government’s Going for Housing Growth Discussion Document focusing on Pillar 1 proposals. This submission represents our analysis of how the proposed reforms can best achieve the stated objective of enabling competitive urban land markets to restore housing affordability in New Zealand. Read more