Wellington (Thursday, 24 August 2023) - As the nation prepares to vote on 14 October, the sentiment across New Zealand is one of frustration and concern. Skyrocketing living costs, unaffordable housing, strained healthcare, and a growing educational gap are the voices of a country looking for change. Read more
Wellington (Wednesday, 9 August 2023) – The New Zealand Initiative has released a report, "Lifeline for Health: Meeting New Zealand’s need for General Practitioners," authored by Emeritus Professor Des Gorman and Dr Murray Horn. It highlights a critical crisis facing New Zealand's general medical practitioners (GPs). Read more
Wellington (Thursday, 3 August 2023) – Pharmac is commonly criticised for being too slow to fund new medicines and for not funding many of them. A policy note released today by the New Zealand Initiative shows why this may be desirable. Read more
Wellington (Tuesday, 1 August 2023) – The New Zealand Initiative’s report Blessing or Bloat? Non-Academic Staffing in New Zealand Universities in Comparative Perspective, co-authored by Drs James Kierstead and Michael Johnston shows that a majority of staff at New Zealand universities are non-academics. Read more
Wellington (Tuesday, 11 July 2023) – The New Zealand Initiative’s new report suggests better tools for infrastructure funding and financing. Chief economist Dr Eric Crampton argues infrastructure funding and financing are a root cause of New Zealand’s housing shortage. Read more
Wellington (Thursday, 22 June 2023) – A new report by The New Zealand Initiative documents the grounds for concern about the public sector’s performance. It calls for those in charge to step up to learn from better-performing countries. Read more
Wellington (Monday, 19 June 2023) – The New Zealand Initiative has revealed that Victoria and Otago Universities employ more non-academic than academic staff, a situation prevalent in all New Zealand universities for the past decade. The findings, prepared by Drs. Read more
Wellington (Thursday, 15 June 2023) – Without more donors, the New Zealand Blood Service warns we will rely more heavily on imported plasma products. They’re right. Read more
Wellington (Wednesday, 14 June 2023) – The New Zealand Initiative is set to release a stimulating report this Wednesday, shedding new light on New Zealand’s infrastructure history and providing crucial insights for the future. Authored by Dr Matthew Birchall, Paving the Way: Learning from New Zealand’s Past to Build a Better Future explores the country’s triumphant infrastructure projects of the past and presents a compelling case for replicating those successes. Read more
Wellington (Thursday, 27 April 2023) – A comprehensive report authored by Dr Michael Johnston offers a detailed analysis of the current challenges facing New Zealand’s educational infrastructure. Save our Schools: Solutions for New Zealand’s education crisis outlines a series of innovative proposals for reforming and revitalising New Zealand's education system, including curriculum, assessment and qualification systems, initial teacher education, teacher career structure, teacher supply, systems monitoring, and information provision to parents. Read more
Wellington (Thursday, 20 April 2023) – A new report, authored by Emeritus Professor Des Gorman and Dr Murray Horn, reveals that New Zealand's COVID-19 pandemic management was highly politicised and resulted in poor performance during the outbreak. Lifting the Lid: A Critical Analysis of the Covid-19 Pandemic Management in New Zealand offers recommendations on how to improve future responses. Read more
Wellington (Wednesday, 29 March 2023) – The New Zealand Initiative has damned the consultation process for the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill. It urges that the Bill be amended to force rigorous post-enactment scrutiny, with the legislation repealed by 30 September if that scrutiny does not take place. Read more
Wellington (Thursday, 16 March 2023) – A new report by The New Zealand Initiative examines the mess the Government/Minister of Finance and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) have made of monetary policy. Inflation is once more a real problem, property prices have whiplashed and taxpayers have lost $9 billion. Read more
Wellington (Wednesday, 23 November 2022) – In the leadup to today’s Official Cash Rate decision, New Zealand’s economists warn that inflation expectations are unhinged and that government deficits are worsening the problem. They also remind us that New Zealand cannot maintain current employment levels by accepting high inflation rates. Read more
Wellington (Wednesday, 9 November 2022) – There are no silver bullets for ending the regulatory mess that makes housing hard to build, but there may be silver buckshot. A Member’s Bill from ACT’s Brooke van Velden proposes sharing half of the GST on new housing with councils where new housing is built. Read more