Research reports

Effective and affordable – Why the ETS is sufficient to deal with the climate emergency

New Zealand is at risk of spending tens of billions of dollars on policies that will not cut carbon emissions by a single gram. And as for those emissions reductions we do achieve, we will do so at ludicrously inflated costs. [...]

The Unreserved Bank of New Zealand

As the Reserve Bank takes on fiscal functions, its political neutrality and commitment to monetary stability, as well as maximum sustainable employment, need to be re-emphasised. [...]

#localismNZ: Bringing power to the people

#localismNZ: Bringing power to the people explains the rationale behind localism and responds to commonly heard objections. [...]

Go Swiss: Learnings from The New Zealand Initiative’s visit to Switzerland

New Zealand has much to learn from Switzerland. [...]

Manifesto 2017

Wouldn't it be good to have an election fought on the issues that matter for the future of the country? [...]

Why Europe Failed

The continent that invented and dominated the modern world has gambled away its future. 'Why Europe Failed' is a sobering account of the Old World’s fall from grace. [...]

Quiet Achievers: The New Zealand Path to Reform

Do today’s politicians have the courage to make hard choices? Or has the furious pace of modern politics put an end to the age of reform? While Australia has been avoiding difficult decisions, the New Zealanders have been silently forging ahead. [...]

A Global Perspective on Localism

By international standards, New Zealand has one of the world’s most centralised forms of government. In other OECD economies, local government runs health and police services, accounts for the majority of public investment, and typically controls a third of public spending. In New Zealand, by contrast, local government has traditionally been small and weak in comparison with central government. [...]

WHY vs WHY Big Australia

In WHY vs WHY™ Big Australia, we pit opposing writers against each other, Jessica Brown & Oliver Hartwich (YES) vs Mark O'Connor (NO). They go head-to-head, each side presenting 7 key reasons why you should say yes/no to Big Australia. After each side presents their arguments, the opponent then tries to tear each of them apart, both in the book & on this website (with further rebuttals). For readers, we aim to leave nothing unanswered. [...]

Faraway, So Close – How the Euro crisis affects Australia

Does Europe’s crisis have the potential to derail the Australian economy? How can the European crisis spread to Australia? And are there opportunities for Australia amid the European catastrophe? [...]