Dr Oliver Hartwich

Views from Wellington

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Health and Safety

Construction site full of road cones
The Australian

NZ workplace safety experiment a breath of fresh air

09/04/2025
One of the pleasures of my job as Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative is hosting events with Ministers explaining their new policies to our members.

[…]

Old room with papers strewn across a desk
The Australian

Time to escape NZ’s health and safety mad house

19/06/2024
The other day, I popped into a cafe in Wellington for my usual flat white. As I waited for my coffee, I noticed a selection of nut packages on display.

[…]

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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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.

Latest video

AI, context, and New Zealand’s data center future

6 October 2026 · More videos

Latest audio

  • Free to Disagree · 6 November 2026 · 56 min

    Why hasn’t New Zealand warmed to its prime minister?

    Listen
  • Initiative podcast · 5 November 2026 · 32 min

    Why an ageing New Zealand is an opportunity, not a burden

    Listen
  • Radio NZ · 2 November 2026

    Why New Zealand needs a fiscal watchdog

    Listen

All interviews and podcasts

Free to Disagree

Free to Disagree podcast logo, with Damien Grant and Oliver Hartwich
Weekly podcast with Damien Grant

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Contact info
The New Zealand Initiative
Level 12, Bayleys Building
36 Brandon Street
Wellington 6011, New Zealand
+64 4 499 0790
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© Dr Oliver Hartwich

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