Dr Oliver Hartwich

Notes from New Zealand

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Chris Hipkins

Map of New Zealand with a red pin in Wellington
Other publications

New Zealand’s cliffhanger election could be a major surprise

11 October 2023

With only a few days left until New Zealand’s general election, you might think the outcome should be easy to predict.

numbers on monitor
The Australian

Brewing storm: Why NZ dollar faces toxic cocktail

29 August 2023

New Zealand was on the brink of an abyss.

a pathway through ice like mountain
The Australian

Hipkins’ rocky road to October election

21 July 2023

It was a perfectly executed transition from one Prime Minister to another.

australia map
The Australian

Australia reaps the benefit from NZ’s decline with citizenship rules

26 April 2023

It is sometimes a personal experience that brings abstract policy discussions to life.

toppings on a bread slices
Insights

Not your average canape chat

24 February 2023

Few people attend business functions because of the speeches.

Map of New Zealand with a red pin in Wellington
The Australian

Hipkins clearing the decks

14 February 2023

A new broom sweeps clean. For Chris Hipkins, New Zealand’s new Prime Minister, this saying could not be more apt.

the beehive building in wellington new zealand
Insights

Hipkins puts policy back on the agenda

10 February 2023

Considering Chris Hipkins’ reputation as a policy wonk, this week’s ‘bonfire of policies’ is quite remarkable.

Fireworks spelling 2019
Insights

A year of delivery

13 December 2019

The Prime Minister had declared 2019 “the year of delivery”.

Stacks of paper files
Insights

A penny saved is a penny earned

26 August 2016

When it comes to regulatory burdens, it is not necessarily the cost of a specific regulation that matters.

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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