Oliver is the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. Before joining the Initiative, he was a Research Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney, the Chief Economist at Policy Exchange in London, and an advisor in the UK House of Lords. Oliver holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Business administration and a PhD in Law from Bochum University in Germany.
Oliver is available to comment on all of the Initiative’s research areas.
Submission: A New Zealand Income Insurance Scheme (2022)
Policy Essay: Effective and affordable – Why the ETS is sufficient to deal with the climate emergency (2020)
Research Note: The Unreserved Bank of New Zealand: Why unorthodox monetary policy needs boundaries (2019)
#localismNZ: Bringing power to the people (2019)
Submission: Future of Tax (2018)
Submission: Overseas Investment Amendment Bill (2018)
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Phone: +64 4 499 0790
Reading the great philosophers is intimidating: Long sentences, difficult language. Now there is hope for us mortals. Read more
There is an anecdote about Christopher Columbus, which still holds a lesson for us today. After his first voyage to the new world, Spanish Cardinal Mendoza hosted a banquet for Columbus. Read more
I had a dream. It is November 2021, and I have just tuned in to the Prime Minister’s daily press conference. Read more
Is there anything about this worldwide pandemic that we have not talked about sufficiently after one and a half years? Countless articles, essays, and speeches have shed light on nearly every aspect of the situation. Read more
My European friends and family have all had Covid shots over the past few months. They proudly showed me their fancy vaccination certificates (with QR codes) over Zoom as if to rub it in. Read more
I do not want to write about the Crowne Plaza exercise area. Or the glacial pace of immunisation rollout. Read more
Germany will go to the polls on September 26. But that is about the only thing you can count on. Read more
It was a small achievement but one that made climate change minister James Shaw proud. Last week, Wellington’s CentrePort deployed its first seven all-electric container movers. Read more
Today is a special anniversary. On this day, 60 years ago, the Berlin Wall was built. Read more
What is the most successful Volkswagen (VW) model? No, it is not the Golf, not the Tiguan and not the all-electric ID.3. Read more
Oliver Hartwich and Eric Crampton talk to University of Auckland’s Professor Des Gorman (Ngāpuhi), from the University’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. The team discuss New Zealand’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and what could be done differently. Read more
Writing this ‘Spotlight on Europe’ column every fortnight is a rare luxury. It allows me to reflect on anything interesting about Europe these days. Read more
Matt Burgess talks to Oliver Hartwich about the government’s Natural and Built Environments bill, the first of three pieces of legislation to replace the RMA. The bill shows the government sees planning as an appropriate vehicle for everything from protecting the natural environment, to culture, growth and climate change. Read more
Oliver Hartwich and Matt Burgess discuss the Commerce Commissions market study on supermarket competition. What are the barriers to competitors entering the market, and is the number of competitors a real indication of price competition? Read more
Reports about the Government reconsidering the controversial Auckland cycling bridge are welcome. At projected costs of $785 million, the bridge always looked excessively expensive. Read more