Dr Oliver Hartwich

Notes from New Zealand

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Month: January 2026

Kaiser Wilhelm II and Donald Trump side by side
Newsroom

Donald Trump, the Kaiser in Mar-a-Lago

27 January 2026

The past month has been difficult to process.

New framing is constructed home
Insights

Paying for growth

23 January 2026

The domestic political year has started with housing density back on the agenda.

Ratification Peace Münster Spain Dutch
The Australian

Trump aide’s ‘might-makes-right’ doctrine threatens Australia and New Zealand’s claims

20 January 2026

I do not get to Münster often these days, but whenever I am there, I feel drawn to its town hall.

mental health related conceptual art
Newsroom

To stop megaphone populists triumphing, we need unlikely left-right alliance

20 January 2026

To many on the political left, the Mont Pelerin Society represents something akin to a spectre.

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

    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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