During the Covid pandemic, the public has heard a lot about the precautionary principle. The Prime Minister referred to it when announcing every lockdown. Read more
A spectre is haunting Europe – the spectre of communism. All the powers of old Europe have entered into a holy alliance to exorcise this spectre.” That was the beginning of The Communist Manifesto (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Read more
Governments have a hard time planning for longer term risks. Unless a specific risk, like climate change, draws voters’ attention, it is more likely to be ignored. Read more
Chief economist Dr Eric Crampton spoke on Newstalk ZB about the Government signing a memorandum of understanding with Amazon for a 25% subsidy on its Lord of the Rings TV series. He says film subsidy regimes are wasteful competition as countries scramble to attract film producers. Read more
In our latest podcast, Dr Oliver Hartwich and Dr Eric Crampton discuss what's been on their minds this week - including the Regulatory Responsibility Act and how policy regimes are becoming uncertain and unpredictable.
The New Zealand Initiative · Podcast: Oliver Hartwich and Eric Crampton share what's on their minds this week Read more
Between a policy idea and its political take-up, many years can pass. But that makes it even more satisfying when it eventually happens. Read more
If you’d thought that sorting Wellington’s transport issues was at the heart of the latest efforts to solve Wellington’s transport issues, well, you don’t know Wellington. For the past five years, Let’s Get Wellington Moving has been consulting with over ten thousand people and 75 stakeholder groups. Read more
New Zealand’s highest stakes bet is taking place at the country’s border, where Covid infected Kiwis and returning residents are arriving almost every day. When you are betting the farm, you need to play your best hand. Read more
The New Zealand Initiative has welcomed the National Party’s announcement of its housing policy and legislation. “Housing affordability is all about supply. Read more
My first job after my law doctorate was as an assistant to a Liberal Democrats peer in the UK House of Lords. It was a helpful lesson on the difference between the theory and practice of law-making. Read more
New Zealand is not among the world’s most geologically stable places. The Christchurch earthquake was just over a decade ago. Read more
Policy Analyst Joel Hernandez spoke to The Project about his research on the state of schooling in New Zealand, which looked at the effectiveness across state, state-integrated, and private schools. In his report, Joel said in order to improve our education system, the Ministry of Education must learn which schools are bucking the trend and overcoming socioeconomic barriers. Read more
Data from the OECD reveals extraordinary increases in the cost of housing in most countries. Since 2000, house prices in OECD countries have gone up 39% after inflation across the OECD. Read more
Bubbles are beautiful but fragile things. Not letting the new one break matters. Read more
In this week's Initiative podcast, and ahead of the trans Tasman bubble opening up on 19 April 2021, Chief Economist Dr Eric Crampton discusses the safety measures that should already be in place to make this a success and, hopefully, put New Zealand on track to open up bubbles with other low-risk countries.
The New Zealand Initiative · PODCAST: Dr Eric Crampton discusses safety measures around the opening of the Trans Tasman bubble Read more