The New Zealand Initiative

We are a nonpartisan, independent think tank focused on public policy. Our goal is to contribute to a better and more resilient New Zealand.

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Articles

New Zealand’s real economic problem: Too little capital, not too much profit

3 days ago | nzinitiative.org.nz | Roger Partridge

New Zealand’s economy has a chronic capital problem – and it is getting worse. Over the last 50 years, New Zealand has become one of the most undercapitalised economies in the developed world. Our workers are supported by far less infrastructure, plant, technology, and equipment than their counterparts in comparable countries. To read the full article on the NZ Herald website, click here.
Auckland Council’s precautionary urbanism

1 week ago | nzinitiative.org.nz | Roger Partridge

Auckland Council has confirmed what many suspected: in most of the city centre, 20 storeys is quite tall enough. We wouldn’t want to frighten ourselves into looking like a real city. Not everywhere, of course. A few favoured blocks in the CBD will be permitted to reach for the sky – provided they don’t offend a protected viewshaft, cast an unauthorised shadow, or challenge our collective sense of scale. But outside that core, the Council has drawn a firm line: 72.5 metres.
Newstalk ZB: Dr Eric Crampton on breaking down supermarket market barriers

1 week ago | nzinitiative.org.nz | Eric Crampton |Mike Hosking

Reports & Media > Media > Newstalk ZB: Dr Eric Crampton on breaking down supermarket market barriers Newstalk ZB: Dr Eric Crampton on breaking down supermarket market barriers Dr Eric Crampton talked to Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB about The New Zealand Initiative's blueprint for addressing supermarket competition in New Zealand.
Podcast: A Fast-Track to stronger grocery competition

1 week ago | nzinitiative.org.nz | Eric Crampton |Benno Blaschke

Podcast: A Fast-Track to stronger grocery competition In this episode, Eric talks to Benno Blaschke about his groundbreaking report proposing a fast-track supermarket entry and expansion omnibus bill that could revolutionise New Zealand's grocery market.
Podcast: A Fast-Track to stronger grocery competition

1 week ago | nzinitiative.org.nz | Eric Crampton |Benno Blaschke

Podcast: A Fast-Track to stronger grocery competition In this episode, Eric talks to Benno Blaschke about his groundbreaking report proposing a fast-track supermarket entry and expansion omnibus bill that could revolutionise New Zealand's grocery market.
Trump’s retreat in Europe shocking but not surprising

1 week ago | nzinitiative.org.nz | Oliver Hartwich

Was it really an “excellent” phone call with Russia’s dictator, Vladimir Putin? Did it signify, as President Donald Trump declared last week, an imminent breakthrough for peace in Ukraine? The President’s public pronouncements certainly suggested so. Yet behind closed doors, a starkly different mood prevailed. When President Trump later briefed European leaders, his words met not relief but what reports described as “puzzled silence” and profound consternation.
Donald Trump, a Man of Many Gifts

1 week ago | nzinitiative.org.nz | Roger Partridge

Nothing to see here, folks. Just a $400 million Boeing 747 from a foreign monarchy — accepted by the US Department of Defense for presidential use, then slated for retirement on the tarmac in full flight readiness at the future former president’s pleasure. Perfectly normal democratic procedure. At last, America is catching up with global democratic standards.
RNZ News: Dr Eric Crampton warns of persistent structural deficit ahead of budget

2 weeks ago | nzinitiative.org.nz | Eric Crampton

Reports & Media > Media > RNZ News: Dr Eric Crampton warns of persistent structural deficit ahead of budget RNZ News: Dr Eric Crampton warns of persistent structural deficit ahead of budget Dr Eric Crampton was featured in RNZ's news segment about the upcoming budget and the government's structural deficit.
Q+A Budget Special 2025: Dr Crampton weighs in on national budget shortcomings

2 weeks ago | nzinitiative.org.nz | Eric Crampton

Reports & Media > Media > Q+A Budget Special 2025: Dr Crampton weighs in on national budget shortcomings Q+A Budget Special 2025: Dr Crampton weighs in on national budget shortcomings Dr Eric Crampton talked to John Campbell on 1News Q+A Budget Special 2025 describing the Budget as "underwhelming" in terms of economic growth and fiscal consolidation.
Deficits forever?

2 weeks ago | nzinitiative.org.nz | Eric Crampton

This week’s budget projected no return to balanced books. It is difficult to see how recent budgets from National and Labour comply with the Public Finance Act’s fiscal responsibility provisions. It is a problem. Headline figures projecting a return to surplus ignore ongoing accumulating deficits at the Accident Compensation Commission (ACC). ACC is expected to spend $2.9 billion more than it earns in 2026 and 2027, with ACC’s deficit reducing to $2.3 billion by 2029.