Dr Oliver Hartwich

Notes from New Zealand

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Ludwig Erhard

Covid-19 cafe pre-lockdown notice, The Parade, Island Bay, Wellington.
Insights

Seven principles for recovery

24 April 2020

How do you get an economy going again when entire industries are destroyed?

New Zealand Parliament Buildings in Wellington, ('The Beehive') was built in 1915.
Speeches

Speech to the Epidemic Response Committee

23 April 2020

Nobody knows what exactly our future will look like.

Black and white photo of a crowd of protesters
The New Zealand Herald

A question of war and peace

14 April 2020

What happens over the coming weeks and months will determine our political and economic fate for decades to come.

Adenauer, Konrad Im Gespräch mit Ludwig Erhard,.
Business Spectator

Schooling the anti-capitalists on inequality

7 August 2014

Ludwig Erhard’s insistence on the social market economy made West Germany rich after the War.

Universität Freiburg Kollegiengebäude I (Altbau).
Research reports

Neoliberalism: The Genesis of a Political Swearword

21 May 2009

Neoliberalism is one of the most commonly used words in political debates.

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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