Dr Oliver Hartwich

Notes from New Zealand

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Month: July 2022

Coins pouring into a drain
Insights

Focus on price stability

29 July 2022

We need central banks globally to refocus on their core task: price stability.

A steelworks in Duisburg, Germany, at night.
Newsroom

Germany is stumbling towards an uncertain future

26 July 2022

Instead of facing up to the many painful realities, the Germans are still clinging on to some weird rituals – such as filling their ‘summer hole’ with a staged debate.

close up of a book over white background
Insights

No trivial pursuit

22 July 2022

At the very least, schools should teach students how to read, write and calculate.

white furred animals on green grass field
The Australian

Disaster: the truth behind New Zealand’s full employment

20 July 2022

New Zealand has crippled its labour market.

Countdown supermarket in Marton, New Zealand.
Insights

Paying the price for economic mismanagement

15 July 2022

The Government’s economic competence will determine how long and how deep our economic downturn will be.

night traffic on westminster bridge and elizabeth tower in london uk
Newsroom

The Tory Party is over – now for the hangover

12 July 2022

Whoever follows Boris Johnson as Conservative leader will have a big task of rebuilding the party and then – if voters allow – the country.

unrecognizable soldiers with infantry weapons accomplishing military mission near helicopter
Insights

The meaning of independence

1 July 2022

New Zealanders must realise that, in a less benign world, an independent foreign policy cannot mean neutrality.

Falling dominoes
The Australian

Even mediocre would be easier to bear: how NZ lost its mojo

1 July 2022

For many years, pollsters Roy Morgan and Curia have been asking New Zealanders whether the country is heading in the right direction.

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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