Dr Oliver Hartwich

Notes from New Zealand

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Month: May 2018

Hand touching a digital screen
Insights

To the Government’s credit

25 May 2018

If politicians could make companies more productive and innovative by decree, they would have done so a long time ago.

New Zealand 100-dollar banknote
National Business Review

The price of diplomacy is worth paying

18 May 2018

We should be prepared to defend government’s unpopular spending decisions where we believe them to be justified.

Historic German newspaper headline announcing that the Reichstag hands power to Adolf Hitler
National Business Review

An assault on representative democracy

11 May 2018

The Waka Jumping Bill is more reminiscent of early 20th century Germany than suited to 21st century New Zealand.

close up photo of lighted cigarette stick
Other publications

Foreword to ‘Smoke and Vapour’

11 May 2018

You may have an aversion to smoking and the potential of alternative nicotine delivery systems.

Auckland city seen from a high window
Insights

Caution needed on value capture

4 May 2018

As tempting it may appear to tap into land value uplifts, we need to be cautious.

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

AI, context, and New Zealand’s data center future

6 October 2026 · More videos

Latest audio

  • Newstalk ZB · 9 November 2026 · 8 min

    What the 2026 election shows about MMP

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  • Free to Disagree · 6 November 2026 · 56 min

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

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

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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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