Oliver is the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. Before joining the Initiative, he was a Research Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney, the Chief Economist at Policy Exchange in London, and an advisor in the UK House of Lords. Oliver holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Business administration and a PhD in Law from Bochum University in Germany.
Oliver is available to comment on all of the Initiative’s research areas.
Submission: A New Zealand Income Insurance Scheme (2022)
Policy Essay: Effective and affordable – Why the ETS is sufficient to deal with the climate emergency (2020)
Research Note: The Unreserved Bank of New Zealand: Why unorthodox monetary policy needs boundaries (2019)
#localismNZ: Bringing power to the people (2019)
Submission: Future of Tax (2018)
Submission: Overseas Investment Amendment Bill (2018)
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Phone: +64 4 499 0790
A few years ago, the Prime Minister visiting foreign countries would have barely been news. However, after two years of borders closed because of Covid, Jacinda Ardern’s trip to Singapore and Japan is more than just noteworthy. Read more
As Putin’s soldiers fight in eastern Ukraine, he is also involved in a battle much further west. Tragically, that western battle may even go his way. Read more
Oliver Hartwich talks to Alex Sundakov from Castalia Advisors about his experiences in both countries, how the Soviet era cast a long shadow over their national identities, and why there might be some small positive to come out of the terrible conflict in Ukraine. Mr Sundakov was previously the International Monetary Fund’s resident representative to Ukraine and maintains strong connections to the country. Read more
Five hundred and twenty-five days. This is how long the Reserve Bank of Australia had kept its interest rate steady when Australian opposition leader Anthony Albanese was asked about it by a journalist on the campaign trail. Read more
The more things change, the more they stay the same. This is how Germany’s foreign and defence policy appears these days. Read more
Oliver Hartwich joins Ben Craven to discuss Germany’s response to the war in Ukraine. Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently threw out three decades’ worth of German foreign policy dogmas. Read more
Oliver Hartwich joins Ben Craven on the podcast to reflect on ten years of The New Zealand Initiative. The pair discuss the highlights over the years, the Initiative’s influence on policy debates, and share with listeners a few hard-case stories along the way. Read more
Who would start a serious think tank on April Fools’ Day? Presumably someone with a good sense of humour. Read more
Kiwi households are paying more than $3,000 extra on essentials than they were 12 months ago, and policies implemented by the Government and Reserve Bank are contributing to the problem. Matt Burgess talks to Oliver Hartwich about his latest research note. Read more
As the saying goes, everything in fashion eventually returns. And so it seems in the economy. Read more
Earlier this week, Climate Change Minister James Shaw was interviewed by Andrew Dickens on Newstalk ZB about our latest research, Pretence of Necessity: Why further climate change action isn’t needed and won’t help. The Minister made some dubious claims during his interview. Read more
We strongly oppose the proposed Social Unemployment Insurance. This submission explains why we believe that such an addition to the New Zealand welfare state is undesirable. Read more
Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine has changed the world. Regardless of how it ends, its consequences will last for decades. Read more
How has Putin’s regime changed over the years? And does the structure of his government explain Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its poor military performance? Read more
There is no excuse for being Russian these days, not even if you are a cat. The Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe) reacted swiftly to Putin’s war against Ukraine. Read more