New Zealand Initiative
The New Zealand Initiative is a market-oriented public policy thinktank based in Wellington, New Zealand. The membership-based organisation is supported by executives of major New Zealand businesses, and was formed from the 2012 merger of the New Zealand Business Roundtable and the New Zealand Institute.[1]
The Initiative is not affiliated to any political party, and produces research publications about housing, education, foreign direct investment, local government, economic and social policy, as well as resources management.[2][non-primary source needed]. The New Zealand Initiative holds events throughout the year, including lectures with visiting and domestic guest speakers, and The Next Generation Debates, a debating tournament.
History
The New Zealand Initiative was established in April 2012, as the result of a merger between the New Zealand Business Roundtable and The New Zealand Institute.[3]
The New Zealand Business Roundtable was headed by the late Roger Kerr, and the New Zealand Institute, initially established under David Skilling, by Rick Boven. The decision was made in December 2011 to merge, to form an effective think tank in a market that was too small for two independent organisations.[4] The Initiative was launched on 3 April 2012.
The Initiative is chaired by Roger Partridge, a partner at law firm Bell Gully, and led by Dr Oliver Marc Hartwich, its inaugural Executive Director.
Philosophy and values
The New Zealand Initiative’s states its goals and values as follows:[5]
• A good education system
• Affordable housing
• An open economy
• A free and democratic society
• The protection of New Zealand’s natural resources and heritage
• Sound public finances
• A stable currency
According to its website, the Initiative is committed to empirical evidence, non-partisanship, independence, and commitment to New Zealand.
Research
The New Zealand Initiative has conducted research in the following areas: [6]
• Foreign direct investment
• Better education
• Housing affordability
• Localism
• Fiscal policy
• Resources
The Initiative’s research has generated significant interest and discussion. In 2013, Minister of Education Hekia Parata welcomed the Initiative’s World Class Education report on why New Zealand needs to strengthen its teaching profession.[7] The New Zealand government’s education policy on strengthening the teaching profession accepted the Initiative’s recommendations in this field.
A New Zealand Initiative report on housing affordability, advocating policy measures to open up the supply of new homes was praised by the Local Government Forum, saying it “adds a credible policy voice to the debate”. [8]
Media
The New Zealand Initiative are frequent media commentators, with a weekly column in the National Business Review[9] and Interest.co.nz.[10] In addition to this, the Initiative’s researchers also frequently comment in opinion pieces in newspapers, and on radio and TV.[11]
The Initiative is active on social media, and issue a weekly Insights newsletter.[12]
References
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