Podcast: Dr David Law on the housing package and what it will mean for the housing market and rental market

Dr Oliver Hartwich and Dr David Law discuss the details of the government's new housing package and what it will mean for the housing market, house prices and first home buyers. They also discuss the consequences for the rental market and the pitfalls of rent controls. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich
Dr David Law
Podcast
31 March, 2021

The Emissions Trading Scheme FAQ

The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) uses prices to lower emissions. The scheme launched in New Zealand in 2008 and it is now one of the best-designed schemes in the world. Read more

Research Note
30 March, 2021

Time to tackle tourism infrastructures funding problem

This month events at either end of the country highlighted a fundamental failure afflicting New Zealand’s biggest pre-Covid export earner: tourism. On 10 March, Auckland Council heard submissions on when it should reintroduce its Accommodation Provider Targeted Rate (APTR), which is uses to fund Auckland events and destination marketing. Read more

Roger Partridge
NZ Herald
30 March, 2021

Podcast: Bryce Wilkinson on the Government's Pharmac review

In this short podcast, Senior Fellow Dr Bryce Wilkinson outlines the Government's review into Pharmac. He says the review will focus on how Pharmac performs against its current objectives (and if there could be any improvements), and whether Pharmac's objectives maximise its potential to help improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders. Read more

Dr Bryce Wilkinson
Podcast
30 March, 2021

Unbalanced compulsory NZ history curriculum lacks humanity

Eighteen months ago, the Government announced a curriculum change making it compulsory for all schools to teach “key aspects” of New Zealand history. The Ministry of Education was tasked with creating a new curriculum to “span the full range of New Zealanders’ experiences… with contemporary issues directly linked to major events of the past.” Asking the Ministry of Education to draft a compulsory New Zealand History curriculum for school children was always fraught with risk. Read more

Roger Partridge
Bowalley Road
27 March, 2021

Media Release: Climate Change Commission shows economic transformation is unnecessary

The Climate Change Commission has made no convincing case for its sweeping economic reforms to reduce emissions, says Matt Burgess, Senior Economist at The New Zealand Initiative. Analysis by the Climate Change Commission shows current policies, including the Emissions Trading Scheme (“ETS”), will deliver New Zealand’s emissions targets. Read more

Media release
26 March, 2021

Media release: Doing business in New Zealand has just become riskier

Tuesday’s announcement of new housing policies from the Government has just made New Zealand a far riskier place to do business, warns a policy paper released today by The New Zealand Initiative. A risky place to do business, written by Dr Eric Crampton and Dr Bryce Wilkinson does not assess the effects of these policies, rather it warns of the consequences of this approach to policy-making. Read more

Media release
26 March, 2021

Policy Point: A risky place to do business

On Tuesday morning, 23 March 2021, the Government announced a set of housing policies that, among other things would substantially change the tax treatment of interest payments on residential investment properties. The changes to tax policy are substantial. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton
Dr Bryce Wilkinson
Policy Point
26 March, 2021

No case for reform

After eight weeks of poring over the 847 pages of analysis from the Climate Change Commission, two findings stand out. First, the Commission shows current policies, including the Emissions Trading Scheme (“ETS”), will deliver our 2050 emissions targets. Read more

Insights Newsletter
26 March, 2021

Submission: Draft Emissions Budget

In our submission to the Climate Change Commission on the draft emissions budget, we support the commitments to emissions targets under the Paris agreement and to net zero emissions from 2050. We have two overarching recommendations that we explain in the submission: 1. Read more

Submission
25 March, 2021

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