Most people would agree that fairness means that equal things get treated equally and different things get treated differently. In the schooling sector, the current funding system by deciles is one such attempt to be fair. Read more
If you don't know what your inputs really cost, it's hard to know the real value of your company's product. Whether you build cars or make milk powder, that can cause problems. When Germany reunified after the fall of the Berlin wall, legend has it that a West German auto executive emerged weeping from a Trabant car plant. Read more
Some New Zealanders are downright idiots when they drink. From couch burning to drunken brawls to smashing bottles in the streets, there is an ugly side to drinking in New Zealand. Read more
The New Zealand Initiative was proud to host Dean Barry, Counsellor - Immigration from the Canadian High Commission in Canberra to present "Communities of Care: How Canada welcomes so many refugees" in Wellington.
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Our Research Fellow, Jason Krupp, talks to Jesse Mulligan from Radio New Zealand about how other vibrant cities throughout the world deal with the inevitable tension between nightlight and community concerns. Read more
A funny thing happened in the last round of American minimum wage increases. The number of people in unpaid internships went up. Read more
Wellington (4 April 2016): Health Minister Jonathan Coleman is right to be sceptical about sugar and soda taxes, says The New Zealand Initiative. “While a handful of countries have tried sugar taxes, evidence that they will work is not as convincing as public health experts suggest,” says policy analyst Jenesa Jeram. Read more
A funny thing happened in the last round of American minimum wage increases. The number of people in unpaid internships went up. Read more
As the UK is heading for its referendum on EU membership, one might assume Prime Minister David Cameron’s entire focus would be on this once-in-a-generation vote. What could be more important than finally settling Britain’s uneasy relationship with Europe? Read more
Our Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich, talks to RadioLive's Ali Mau about the merits of Canada's refugee policy, which allows Canadian citizens and community groups to sponsor and support refugees. Read more
Our Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich, joins Larry Williams on Newstalk ZB to discuss the Canadian approach to refugees, and why New Zealand should adopt a similar policy. CLICK HERE to listen to the audio. Read more
Wellington (1 April 2016): Amid calls from politicians and civil society to lift the refugee quota, The New Zealand Initiative is urging government to take note of Canada’s system that allows private groups to sponsor refugees. In New Zealand, the government explicitly limits the number of refugees that are allowed into the country each year, reflecting in part the direct costs of the process that are borne by the state. Read more
What is the difference between a letter and a pizza? Well, we have become used to receiving the former only three times a week. Read more
Eminent UK economist and Financial Times columnist John Kay reportedly believes that the global financial system is broken and that there is a simple remedy. It is broken because bankers have lost the plot. Read more
We should laud, not vilify, the actions of a Wairarapa school that has taken the brave step to ban students (and presumably staff too) from climbing trees on school grounds. Management have quite correctly noted that trees pose a health and safety risk to those playing in them, and have acted wisely to shut down any possibility of this risk eventuating on their watch. Read more