This week’s 2012 PISA results should have sent shockwaves down the country. New Zealand slipped from 7th to 13th place in reading, 13th to 23rd in maths, and from 7th to 18th in science in the OECD’s Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA), a study of half a million 15-year olds in 65 countries. Read more
Healthy competition is a key driver of efficiency gains. It forces businesses to focus on meeting customer needs better than anyone else. Read more
Measuring the extent to which corruption prevails worldwide is notoriously difficult. However, it is certainly not difficult to understand why corruption can have a hugely detrimental effect on a country’s economic integrity. Read more
Wellington (4 December 2013): New Zealand’s sudden drop in the international education rankings is a clear signal that the country needs to lift teacher quality if wants students to be able to participate in the modern workplace, said The NewZealand Initiative. Compared to the 2009 results, 15 year olds saw their overall ranking in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) fall across the board, dropping from 7th to 13th in reading, 13th to 23rd in mathematics, and 7th to 18th in science. Read more
When the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released its last World Investment Report in June this year, it was a sobering read for New Zealand. Though we may be convinced we live in one of the most attractive places in the world, it does not show in our ability to attract foreign capital. Read more
I have been spending this week in Hong Kong as a guest of the Hong Kong government. To be frank, when I received the invitation to visit the Special Administrative Region (that is the name and status after it was handed back from Britain to China in 1997), I was not quite sure why they have such a programme for international visitors (mainly politicians and business people), let alone why I would be chosen to participate in it. Read more
The Parliamentary Health Committee’s major recommendations from its ‘Inquiry into improving child health outcomes and preventing child abuse’ has been applauded for its evidence-based research. However, its recommendations still need some further consideration. Read more
As someone who enjoys the fruits of New Zealand’s cinematic output, it might seem hypocritical to argue against Graeme Tuckett when he suggests we need to lift rebates on overseas film productions. In a Dominion Post editorial, he argues our film industry is struggling to compete with some countries because they offer a rebate of 25 per cent on every dollar spent, while we only offer 15 per cent. Read more
In November 2013, New Zealand Initiative Executive Director Dr Oliver Hartwich was in Hong Kong as a guest of the Hong Kong government. Read more
These radical ideas were put forth last week at a Law & Economics Association of New Zealand event. They may seem radical to the general public, but being thinkers at an economic think tank that advocates for market-based solutions, we found them hardly radical or surprising. Read more
If there is any life left in one of the last demand boogeymen of the housing market, The Economist this week reminded us that there is a novel way of exorcising them, namely letting them in the front door. I am, of course, speaking of foreign buyers. Read more
One in seven of New Zealand’s 15-year-olds cannot read at a level considered requisite for basic participation in society, according to the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study. But does this simply reflect natural variation in ability levels and the left-end of the bell curve? Read more
Earlier this week, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully announced that a further $2.975 million would be provided to the Filipino government in the aftermath of the devastatingly destructive Typhoon Haiyan. The additional funding will take New Zealand’s total contribution to the cause to more than $5 million. Read more