Dr Oliver Hartwich

Notes from New Zealand

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Month: April 2020

Covid-19 cafe pre-lockdown notice, The Parade, Island Bay, Wellington.
Insights

Seven principles for recovery

24 April 2020

How do you get an economy going again when entire industries are destroyed?

New Zealand Parliament Buildings in Wellington, ('The Beehive') was built in 1915.
Speeches

Speech to the Epidemic Response Committee

23 April 2020

Nobody knows what exactly our future will look like.

The Bank of Italy building in Rome.
Newsroom

Debt is the least of Italy’s problems

21 April 2020

No matter how much fiscal support he will receive, it will do nothing to reverse Italy’s productivity trajectory.

Te Papa is closed.
Insights

Be careful what you wish for

17 April 2020

The Covid-19 crisis does not and will not change the principles of economics – but that will not stop politicians from trying.

Black and white photo of a crowd of protesters
The New Zealand Herald

A question of war and peace

14 April 2020

What happens over the coming weeks and months will determine our political and economic fate for decades to come.

The German–Polish border crossing at Lubieszyn during the COVID-19 closures in March 2020.
Newsroom

The European Non-Union

7 April 2020

In the Western Roman Empire’s case, it was the barbarian soldier Odoacer who finished off the ruins of a once-proud Empire.

Hands holding a phone showing a news app over newspapers
Insights

Suffocating media

3 April 2020

Who will talk about the future of this country when the crisis is over?

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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