Dr Oliver Hartwich

Notes from New Zealand

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Retail

artisan bread display in a berlin bakery
Other publications

There was only one thing about Bürgen that was German and it was not the bread

23 August 2026

New Zealand is about to lose a German bread that was never German, and as the only German in sight, I have been invited to grieve.

person holding bread on shopping cart
The New Zealand Herald

Government the real obstacle to supermarket competition

3 August 2021

Only free entry into the retail market would tell us if there is enough supermarket competition in New Zealand.

A Countdown supermarket in central Auckland.
Insights

There is no magic in numbers

17 April 2014

Whether there is enough competition in the New Zealand retail sector, is hard to tell.

Fruit and vegetables displayed outside a supermarket in Tottenham.
Other publications

Parting shot

17 August 2008

When I moved from Germany to London four years ago I needed some furniture for my new flat.

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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