Reports & Media

In this episode, Oliver interviews Jemma Stevenson, a new economist at The New Zealand Initiative, about her background and current research on government inefficiency. Jemma is working on a sequel to the Initiative's research on "Cabinet Congestion," examining whether New Zealand's complex government structure of 81 portfolios and 28 ministers leads to increased spending compared to more streamlined systems like Norway's. Read more

In this episode, Oliver talks to Bryce about his new report "The People's Portfolio", which examines New Zealand's $571 billion in Crown-owned assets and makes the case for privatising many of them to improve economic efficiency rather than simply raising funds. They discuss how current government ownership of these assets is actually costing taxpayers money, the historical success of privatisations like Telecom, and the challenges of implementing a politically viable privatisation strategy. Read more

In this episode, Eric talks to Marko Garlick about how New Zealand's local government planning and zoning regulations create anti-competitive conditions in the retail sector, particularly for supermarkets. They explore specific examples of bizarre regulatory barriers to market entry and discuss potential solutions to enable more competition, such as national policy statements and amendments to the Commerce Act. Read more

In this episode, Michael and Oliver sound the alarm about the transformation of global power following a February 2025 phone call between Presidents Trump and Putin, where the US reportedly conceded to Russia's demands over Ukraine without consulting European allies. They examine what they see as the collapse of the post-WWII liberal democratic order and its dire implications for Europe, the Pacific region, and New Zealand's future in an increasingly unstable world. Read more

In this episode, James and Michael talk to Stephanie Martin from the Free Speech Union (and also the New Zealand Initiative) about a Law Commission consultation paper on hate crime legislation. The discussion examines the shift from treating hate as an aggravating factor in sentencing to creating specific hate crime offenses, while exploring philosophical questions about hate motivation and concerns about free speech implications. Read more

In this episode, Eric talks to Derek Gill, an adjunct scholar at Victoria University, about new research conducted with colleagues that tracks the growth of New Zealand's regulatory state from 1908 to 2024, revealing a steady increase in regulation averaging 2.4% annual growth since 2008, regardless of which political party was in power. The research challenges the common narrative about deregulation in the 1980s and shows that New Zealand's regulatory growth mirrors international trends, though more work is needed to fully understand secondary legislation and sector-specific patterns. Read more

In this episode, James, Eric and Oliver critique Dame Anne Salmond's Newsroom article that characterises the proposed Regulatory Standards Bill as part of a broader neoliberal agenda to undermine democracy in New Zealand. They challenge both Salmond's immediate criticisms of the bill (which they argue misrepresents its regulatory quality focus) and her broader historical argument linking classical liberal organisations like the Mont Pelerin Society to anti-democratic movements, arguing instead that classical liberalism has historically stood against totalitarianism and for democratic values. Read more

In this episode, Oliver talks to Bryce about the Regulatory Standards Bill, which aims to prevent laws and regulations that would make New Zealanders worse off. Bryce explains that while there's currently a discussion document out for public feedback from the Ministry of Regulation, some recent criticisms misunderstand what's being suggested. Read more

In this episode, Oliver, Eric and Michael reflect on New Zealand's key policy achievements in 2024, including education reform, housing policy changes, and foreign direct investment liberalisation, while discussing the significant economic challenges facing the country. They explore Ireland's successful foreign investment strategy, necessary reforms to address structural deficits, and New Zealand's position in international trade, ending with optimism about education improvements planned for 2025. Read more

In this episode, Eric talks to Chief Derek Epp of the Ch'iyáqtel (Tzeachten) First Nation about how his community gained extensive autonomy through Canada's First Nations fiscal institutions, enabling them to control their own zoning, development, and taxation. Chief Epp explains how this framework helped his 750-member band transform from 90% federal dependency to 90% own-source revenue, manage 900 acres serving thousands of non-indigenous residents, restore traditional practices like fish weirs, and become a valued development partner to neighbouring municipalities. Read more

In this episode, Michael talks to Travis Brown, a filmmaker who explores how different ideologies can lead to polarisation and dogmatic thinking, drawing from his own experiences in both fundamentalist Christian and leftist circles. The two discuss how growing political division threatens democracy and examine Brown's doco "When in Doubt," which demonstrates how embracing doubt and curiosity can lead to better understanding between people with opposing views, even if they don't ultimately change their minds. Read more

In this episode, Oliver and Nick discuss the fundamental problems with New Zealand's local government system, particularly how elected officials often lack real power while unelected bureaucrats and chief executives wield excessive influence. Nick's new report "Making Local Government Work" proposes five potential solutions, ranging from implementing a German-style "Super Mayor" model to giving councillors more oversight powers, with some reforms likely achievable under the current Government. Read more

In this episode, Eric talks to Elizabeth Heeg from the Forest Owners Association about New Zealand's new restrictions on forestry in the Emissions Trading Scheme. They discuss why using ETS controls to address local forestry concerns is problematic, examining implementation challenges and arguing that these issues would be better handled through local land use planning. Read more

In this podcast episode, Eric and Bryce discuss the history of regulatory reform efforts in New Zealand since 2001, focusing on the development of the Regulatory Standards Bill and its original mechanism of court declarations of inconsistency. They explore how diminished trust in courts' interpretations of laws has complicated this approach today, while also examining why past attempts to ensure good regulatory quality have faced challenges. Read more

In this episode, Eric and Michael discuss Australia's proposed law to ban social media for under-16s, examining how age verification would likely require government ID and create serious privacy risks as platforms would need to store this sensitive data. While acknowledging concerns about social media's impact on young people, they argue the Australian approach could enable government surveillance, compromise online anonymity, and create technical challenges that would either be easily circumvented or impose heavy costs on legitimate users. Read more