Member-only events

Trade after Brexit: The future of UK/NZ relations with guest speaker: The Rt. Hon. Read more

Our Retreat is the chance to discuss social and economic issues with members and bring those issues to the attention of New Zealand’s leading politicians. Please contact Chelsy at chelsy.blair@nzinitiative.org.nz for further information. Read more

As minister for heath, Jonathan Coleman is responsible for the single biggest item in the New Zealand government’s budget. The lunch meeting with Minister Coleman will be a good opportunity to hear not only about his plans for health policy but also about the government’s stance on lifestyle regulations. Read more

Following on from the success of last year’s event, and a year out from the next election, this is a great opportunity to meet leading Labour politicians and privately discuss policy issues of common interest. About the speaker Andrew Little was elected to Parliament in 2011, and Labour Party leader in 2014. Read more

On 8 November, Americans will elect their 45th President. But this time will not be like any other Presidential election. Read more

Accounting for 30 percent of the population and 35 percent of the economy, Auckland is New Zealand’s dominant city. Whoever will be Auckland’s mayor after October’s local elections, he or she will play an important role for Auckland– and for New Zealand. Read more

Government’s right to compel private owners to sell land for public works makes it easier for the government to build things like roads. A single hold-out owner along the route’s most logical path could otherwise hold the government to ransom. Read more

The economic integration of the Asia-Pacific region has been a major success story of the last few decades, with overseas trade helping lift a quarter of a billion people from poverty to middle income. Now trade growth is slowing, the demographic dividend is over, and technology is disrupting. Read more

Our Retreat is the chance to discuss social and economic issues with members and bring those issues to the attention of New Zealand’s leading politicians. Please contact Chelsy at chelsy.blair@nzinitiative.org.nz for further information. Read more

The Prime Minister has agreed to discuss the recommendations of our regulation project at a special members' lunch in September. About the speaker Prime Minister John Key has been the Prime Minister of New Zealand since November 2008 and Leader of the New Zealand National Party since November 2006. Read more

Hon Hekia Parata will give an update on charter schools, Investing in Educational Success programme, and her take on the future of Maths teaching. About the speaker Hekia has lived and worked in Wellington for most of the past 30 years during which time she has worked in both the public and private sector, holding senior policy and management positions and running a successful consultancy company with her husband Sir Wira Gardiner, advising clients in New Zealand and internationally, She has represented New Zealand at the New Zealand Embassy in Washington, DC, and at a number of multinational forums including the South Pacific Forum, the United Nations Forum, the World Bank Forum and a number of international indigenous forums. Hekia came to Parliament after the General Election in November 2008. Read more

Elected Labour leader in November 2014, Andrew has started a process of policy review for his party. We want to find out where this will lead Labour, and conversely, Labour is interested in establishing a dialogue with The New Zealand Initiative and its members. Read more

In her previous role as Minister for Social Development, Hon Paula Bennett pioneered the investment approach in social welfare. Following National’s re-election she is pursuing an equally ambitious and innovative reform agenda in her new portfolios. Read more

Our Retreat is the chance to discuss social and economic issues with members and bring those issues to the attention of New Zealand’s leading politicians. Please contact Chelsy at chelsy.blair@nzinitiative.org.nz for further information. Read more

Nick Smith won the Tasman seat in 1990 and 1993, and following the introduction of MMP, Nelson in 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2014 despite both having a long previous history as Labour areas. In 2014, he secured exactly 20,000 votes - increasing his majority to 7,605 while National secured its highest ever party vote in Nelson with 16,904 votes. Read more