Fifteen years ago, as Greece teetered on debt default, I started covering European affairs in my columns. Readers may remember the emergency summits, riots in Athens, and financial bailouts from 2009 to 2012. Read more
This webinar launches Unscrambling Government: Less Confusion, More Efficiency, a report by Roger Partridge proposing practical reforms to New Zealand’s fragmented executive of 81 portfolios, 28 ministers, and 43 departments. Hosted by Dr Oliver Hartwich with commentary from Dr Murray Horn (former Treasury Secretary; ex-ANZ CEO), the discussion explores how consolidating portfolios into 15–20 senior ministers supported by junior ministers, and aligning departments to around 20, could restore clarity, speed up decisions, and sharpen accountability—drawing on lessons from Ireland, Norway, Singapore, and Australia’s Hawke-era reforms. Watch below. Read more
Mike Hosking and Andrew Dickens discussed The New Zealand Initiative's report on public service accountability on Newstalk ZB. Dickens noted that when he interviewed the Public Service Association they were defensive about the report, which prompted listeners to disagree with the PSA's stance (and support the Initiative's findings). 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
Roger Partridge talked to Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB about his latest report calling for a major overhaul of government structure. Partridge argued that New Zealand's complex system of 81 ministerial portfolios across 28 ministers and 43 departments creates fragmented decision-making and higher costs, advocating for consolidation to around 15-20 policy areas and 20 departments similar to other developed countries. Read more
Auckland desperately needs homes. Under thirties are giving up on finding homes while politicians promise solutions. Read more
In my last Insights column, I explained what grade inflation is and why it’s bad. I also surveyed research showing that grade inflation is a problem at universities in the US, the UK, and Australia. Read more
When council rates rise at five times the rate of inflation, while water pipes burst and potholes multiply, something has gone very wrong. Council rates jumped 12% last year, the steepest increase in decades, and will on average increase 9% this year. Read more
In this episode, Oliver talks to Eric Crampton and Benno Blaschke about the New Zealand government’s supermarket competition reforms, which closely reflect The New Zealand Initiative’s policy framework—a major policy win that saw their research inform the Minister of Finance’s approach. They explain how their practical policy document shifted government thinking away from heavy-handed breakups and toward tackling the real structural barriers in planning and regulation. Read more
At universities across the English-speaking world, grades have been going up. At US colleges, As (A+, A or A-) are now the most common grade. Read more
Last week, New Zealand’s Reserve Bank (RBNZ) cut interest rates to 3.0 percent. The government was quick to take the credit. Read more
Dr James Kierstead talked to Paul Brennan on Reality Check Radio about his report "Amazing Grades", which exposes how New Zealand universities have become increasingly generous with their grading over recent years. Dr Kierstead explained that the surge in high grades stems from academics adopting more lenient assessment practices rather than any genuine improvement in student ability, a pattern that became starkly evident during the pandemic. Read more
When a constitutional law professor warns of “dangerous foes” threatening New Zealand’s legal system, you might expect concern about genuinely destabilising forces – political interference with judicial independence, or threats to the rule of law itself. You would be wrong. Read more
Roger Partridge talked to Sean Plunket on The Platform about Radio New Zealand's recent internal review, which revealed the broadcaster has lost touch with its audience and become complacent since the pandemic. Partridge argued that while the review identified many problems, it failed to address what he sees as the elephant in the room - Radio New Zealand's political and cultural bias that has developed over the past decade. Read more
Wellington (Wednesday, 27 August 2025) – The Government’s supermarket package adopts the right strategy for competition – remove barriers to entry and open the door to investment. That is the core approach The New Zealand Initiative has championed for years, including in a May 2025 research note, A Fast-Track Supermarket Entry and Expansion Omnibus Bill, setting out a rules‑based alternative focused on planning, consenting and overseas investment. Read more