Dr Oliver Hartwich

Notes from New Zealand

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Month: June 2012

Generators inside Manapouri Power Station in New Zealand.
Insights

Who is open for business?

29 June 2012

It is odd that foreigners buying shares in energy companies excites kiwis so much.

The Greek Parliament building in Athens.
Business Spectator

New Democracy can’t cure Greece

19 June 2012

For a committed market liberal it was a strange experience.

Houses at Charles Fleming Retirement Village in New Zealand.
Insights

Fix the super roof while the sun is still shining

15 June 2012

Far, far from the troubles at the home front, Prime Minister John Key was visibly enjoying the military honours and his joint press conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel on his visit to Berlin last week.

The European Central Bank building in Frankfurt.
Business Spectator

Believing in Europe’s financial tooth fairy

12 June 2012

Continuing the Target 2 madness prevents the long overdue adjustment of intra-European trade and payment balances.

The Octagon in central Dunedin.
Insights

Aristotle in Dunedin

8 June 2012

Aristotle was right. A great city does not need a big population.

The Bank of Spain headquarters in Madrid.
Business Spectator

Why ‘saving’ Spain could destroy it

7 June 2012

If newspaper reports last weekend are to be believed, Germany is pressuring Spain to accept a European bailout.

A Reserve Bank of Australia building.
Other publications

Vertrauen ist gut, Kontrolle ist besser

6 June 2012

Vertrauen mag der Anfang von allem sein.

About me

Oliver Hartwich

I run The New Zealand Initiative, a Wellington think tank that argues for free markets, limited government and institutions that work. I grew up in Germany's Ruhrgebiet and worked in London and Sydney before moving to New Zealand in 2012. This site collects two decades of my columns, reports, speeches and interviews, with the occasional satire.

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Latest video

All TV appearances · Playlist on YouTube

Latest audio

  • Newstalk ZB · 9 November 2026 · 8 min

    What the 2026 election shows about MMP

    0:00
  • Free to Disagree · 6 November 2026 · 56 min

    Why hasn’t New Zealand warmed to its prime minister?

    0:00
  • Initiative podcast · 5 November 2026 · 32 min

    Why an ageing New Zealand is an opportunity, not a burden

    0:00

All interviews and podcasts

My books

Cover of The Martian Audit

The Martian Audit (2026)

Two Martian auditors land in the Wairarapa and are promptly fined for parking without consent. A satirical novella, free to download as PDF or EPUB.

Cover of In the Meantime

In the Meantime (2026)

Investing in a more tribal, less rational world. Written for the Da Vinci Lecture at the Portfolio Construction Forum. Free to read online.

Cover of Leonardo's Legacy

Leonardo's Legacy (2025)

Why investment professionals must become civilisational stewards. Written for the first Da Vinci Lecture at the Portfolio Construction Forum. Free to read online.

Free to Disagree

Free to Disagree podcast logo, with Damien Grant and Oliver Hartwich
Weekly podcast with Damien Grant

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