Dr Oliver Hartwich

Notes from New Zealand

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Debt

Italian flag on a Roman monument
Newsroom

A looming Italian tragedy

23 October 2018

According to Karl Marx, history repeats itself – the first time as tragedy and the second time as farce.

Intersection of Broad Street and Wall Street with New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Hall.
Insights

Financial crisis 4.0

9 February 2018

There is a saying that when things cannot go on forever, they will eventually stop.

Downing Street sign in London
Business Spectator

Britain’s choice between the devil and the deep blue sea

23 April 2015

Few things about this year’s British general elections are predictable.

The container ship Sirrah at the Port of Hamburg.
Business Spectator

Has Germany’s bubble finally burst?

16 October 2014

As recent economic data shows, the German economy is dramatically slowing.

Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Ank Kumar).
Business Spectator

Do market fundamentals still matter?

17 July 2014

In an ideal world, an economic liberal like myself would happily enter a debate supporting the moot that it is financial fundamentals driving investment markets.

Parliament buildings in Wellington.
Business Spectator

Why government spending doesn’t pay

20 March 2014

Markets are very good mechanisms for allocating resources via the price mechanism.

The Deutsche Bundesbank headquarters in Frankfurt.
Business Spectator

A German levy to tax all friendship

30 January 2014

The Bundesbank has put forward its own proposal on how to deal with acute debt crises in the future.

Parliament House and the Beehive in Wellington.
National Business Review

Stopping the growth of government

31 August 2013

Shrinking government spending and government debt is vital if we want future generations to enjoy prosperous lives.

33 Liberty Street is the current home of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Business Spectator

Why the global monetary makeover is wearing off

13 June 2013

Will people eventually realise that the printing press is no substitute for good policy?

"Euro" sculpture beside the former Central European Bank Headquarters.
Business Spectator

Fire and ice on Europe’s debt march

25 April 2013

At the moment, the only countries able to function with the euro are those of the healthier euro core.

Posts pagination

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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

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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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