Governments have many roles, but some are of fundamental importance. A vital role is to secure citizens in their persons and possessions. Read more

On 12 May, President Donald Trump's government spending and revenue bill was published. With characteristic panache, the President calls it his “Big Beautiful Bill”. Read more

This week, the hotly-contested Regulatory Standards Bill was introduced to Parliament. Vocal critics claim that the Bill improperly elevates selected legal and constitutional principles. Read more

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus is condemned to spend eternity rolling a massive boulder uphill, time after time, for no lasting gain. Every time he gets it uphill, it escapes his grasp and rolls back to the bottom. Read more

Last night, I found myself standing at St Peter’s Church for the “Red Tape Hui,” not to confess my economic sins, but to proselytise about the virtues of the prospective Regulatory Standards Bill. The event, hosted by Labour’s Greg O’Connor, MP for Ōhāriu and Assistant Speaker of the House, featured a panel including Dr Bryce Edwards from The Integrity Institute and Craig Renney from the Council of Trade Unions. Read more

How should the government fund the billions more dollars needed to improve New Zealand’s infrastructure, boost defence spending and much else? It must be done by some combination of cutting other spending, raising taxes, borrowing, or selling assets. Read more

Imagine if your household owned a share in many valuable things - houses, businesses, forests, and more - worth about $275,000. But the income you were getting was meagre. Read more

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he wants a bureaucracy that says “yes.” He is right to want that of course, but a lot of current rules would need to change. Under current rules, far too much is too hard. Read more

If you believe some of its critics, the pending Regulatory Standards Bill is a demonic measure to end New Zealand society as we know it. This is beyond false; it is ridiculous. Read more