July 2024 – Dr Oliver Hartwich

Map of New Zealand with a red pin in Wellington

Pervasive myth of centralisation unravels in NZ

31 July 2024

New Zealand’s government sacked the entire board of Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora) last week, replacing it with a sole commissioner. The move marked more than just another shake-up in the country’s beleaguered health system.

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J. D. Vance speaking with attendees at a conference

Europe is now on its own

23 July 2024

After the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, all eyes were on the Republican National Convention. Though Trump’s formal nomination as the GOP’s presidential candidate was a foregone conclusion, his choice of running mate raised eyebrows: JD Vance, the author of Hillbilly Elegy.

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Misguided: New Zealand’s media gambit is unlikely to work

17 July 2024

Australians are accustomed to a much deeper and more diverse media landscape than New Zealanders. Across the ditch, the media ecosystem can be startlingly shallow.

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Lost in constitution

12 July 2024

My fellow Americans, I used to carry around this little book. Or maybe it was a big book.

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silhouette of high rise buildings beside body of water during golden hour

The conservative void at the heart of British politics

8 July 2024

The 2024 UK general election will go down in history as a seismic shift in British politics. But not for the reasons many commentators suggest.

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Pocket watch lying on cracked dry ground

The West in crisis

5 July 2024

Recent events across the Western world paint a troubling picture. The unsettling Trump-Biden debate, the rise of populist parties in Europe, and a surge in Euroscepticism all point to a system in distress.

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A tale of two energy futures

3 July 2024

As Peter Dutton promotes his vision of a nuclear-powered Australia, New Zealanders should also be thinking about their country’s energy future. Given the right energy policy choices, New Zealand would have a chance to redefine its economic future.

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