Dr Oliver Hartwich

Notes from New Zealand

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Julia Gillard

Anzac Parade from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra , ACT .
Other publications

“House of Cards” in Canberra

30 August 2018

Im letzten Jahrzehnt hat Australien demonstriert, dass die Wirklichkeit mit der Fiktion von “House of Cards” problemlos mithalten kann.

Kevin Rudd addressing a GAVI event in London.
National Business Review

The man who ruined a government

5 July 2013

Sometimes Australia seems an odd country indeed.

From left, U.S.
Insights

The return of “psychopath” Rudd

28 June 2013

Rudd’s second premiership may turn out to be short-lived because Australian Labor, divided and exhausted, lies in tatters.

The Berlin Wall dividing the city.
Speeches

Confessions of a political disaster tourist

22 February 2011

It is a very useful experience to travel to the scenes of political disaster.

The CBD & South East Light Rail corridor along George St.
Other publications

Australiens Platzangst

13 August 2010

Wahlkämpfe sind selten die beste Gelegenheit für nüchterne Bestandesaufnahmen.

A view across Pyrmont Bridge in Sydney, with pedestrians crossing it.
Business Spectator

Australia’s choice between growth and decline

15 July 2010

Given the choice between managing Australia’s growing population and administering the demographic decline of wide parts of Europe, there should be no doubt which of the two is the more pleasant scenario.

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

All TV appearances · Playlist on YouTube

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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