Dr Oliver Hartwich

The US ditching the rules-based order leaves NZ living on a prayer

09/12/2025

The American conservative viewpoint has drastically shifted from Reagan’s commitment to alliances and internationalism to Trump’s transactional approach, endangering global stability and leaving allies, like New Zealand, vulnerable.

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Directors who dodge their tax debts

05/12/2025

Inland Revenue wrote off $694.5 million in tax debt due to companies engaging in phoenix activity, prompting proposals for stricter insolvency regulations in New Zealand.

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The tax problem New Zealand cannot seem to solve

04/12/2025

New Zealand’s tax collection faces ongoing issues with tax debt write-offs. There are strategies from Germany and Australia to hold directors accountable and ensure fairness.

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NZ’s zombie rock star economy

03/12/2025

New Zealand’s economy in late 2025 shows conflicting signs: business confidence rises amid empty storefronts, a weakening population, and an unsteady recovery lacking strong fundamentals and genuine growth.

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Responsibility Before Ruin: A pre-emptive fix for NZ’s phoenix problem

02/12/2025

New Zealand’s tax revenue suffers due to directors abandoning failing companies without consequence. Proposed reforms inspired by Germany aim to enforce accountability, shifting responsibility to directors before insolvency.

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The Long Estrangement

27/11/2025

Germany had long been on an anti-Western ” Sonderweg,” particularly in its policies towards Russia. It is a history of systemic failures and naivety culminating in recent geopolitical challenges.

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Trump’s Thanksgiving ultimatum trusses Ukraine like a turkey

25/11/2025

Ukrainian President Zelensky faces pressure to accept a contentious peace plan influenced by Trump and Putin, threatening Ukraine’s sovereignty and reshaping global alliances.

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Failing the politics of feels: why Luxon is tanking in NZ polls

20/11/2025

New Zealand’s political landscape has shifted, where emotional connection and simple promises overshadow policy substance, leading to Labour’s surprising resurgence amid declining confidence in traditional governance.

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Asset recycling needs governance, not ideology

14/11/2025

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon proposes selling state assets, like Kiwibank, to fund infrastructure. The debate centers on ensuring proper governance for investment, not ownership ideology, to address urgent infrastructure needs.

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Go Dutch: Learnings from The New Zealand Initiative’s visit to the Netherlands

13/11/2025

The New Zealand Initiative’s report emphasises learning from Dutch pragmatism, highlighting their cooperation, trust in institutions, and effective regulatory measures as key to achieving better outcomes.

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