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Wellington, 14 April - The New Zealand Initiative welcomes comments from Finance Minister Grant Robertson today before the Epidemic Response Committee about the need for a principles-based approach to what businesses will be able to operate at Alert Level 3. New Zealand Initiative Executive Director, Oliver Hartwich said: “The essential/non-essential categorisation of businesses or business activities at Alert Level 4 was cumbersome, bureaucratic and difficult for both businesses and consumers. Read more

The world has had mixed success containing Covid-19 with Singapore as a standout example during the early phases of the pandemic. Our Research Assistant Leonard Hong talks to chief editor Nathan Smith about Singapore’s approach and shares the lessons for New Zealand. Read more

Wellington, 9 April - A new report Quantifying the wellbeing costs of Covid-19 by the New Zealand Initiative shows how an economic hit of about 6.1% of GDP would be justified if it meant saving 33,600 lives during the Covid-19 pandemic. The figures, compiled by research fellow Dr Bryce Wilkinson, were generated by updating a Ministry of Health model from 2017 and plugging in the available data on Covid-19. Read more

Wellington, 8 April - Singapore has set a high standard for dealing with Covid-19 and despite its decision to enter a lockdown this week, New Zealand can learn a lot from the country, according to a new report Lessons from abroad: Singapore’s Covid-19 containment model from the New Zealand Initiative. Although Singapore has enacted a “circuit breaker” lockdown to defend against some new sources of coronavirus, it could make this choice due to its earlier efforts to identify, control and contain the pandemic threatening its territory. Read more

Wellington, 7 April - The Government’s current wage subsidy scheme may insufficiently protect Kiwis from the worst effects of the Covid-19 crisis, according to a new report from the New Zealand Initiative. Comparing New Zealand with Australia and Canada, the report Relief measures: comparing Covid-19 wage subsidy schemes by Dr David Law shows significant differences between the three in the construction of wage subsidy schemes. Read more