Final Eric Crampton

Dr Eric Crampton

Chief Economist

Eric Crampton is Chief Economist with the New Zealand Initiative. 

He applies an economist’s lens to a broad range of policy areas, from devolution and housing policy to student loans and environmental policy. He served on Minister Twyford’s Urban Land Markets Research Group and on Minister Bishop’s Housing Economic Advisory Group.  
Most recently, he has been looking at devolution to First Nations in Canada. 

He is a regular columnist with Stuff and with Newsroom; his economic and policy commentary appears across most media outlets. He can also be found on Twitter at @ericcrampton 

Phone: +64 4 499 0790

Email: eric.crampton@nzinitiative.org.nz

Recent Work

Podcast: Going for Housing Growth (Part 1): How we got into this mess - Struggling with uncompetitive urban land markets

In this episode, Eric Crampton talks to Benno Blaschke and Stu Donovan (Senior Fellow at Motu) about the complex history of New Zealand's housing crisis, exploring the first part of a three-part series on housing dysfunction. They delve into the underlying causes of housing unaffordability, exploring how urban planning policies, council incentives, and infrastructure constraints have contributed to limited housing supply in major cities like Auckland. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton
Stu Donovan
4 July, 2025

Prediction markets reveal odds on Iran’s nuclear future, regime change

Late night ‘situation monitoring’ on Twitter when Israel and America are bombing Iranian nuclear weapons facilities is not ideal for a good night’s sleep. Possible outcomes seemed to range from a happy and peaceful shift to a more liberal Iranian government, through to serious regional or broader war with a nuclear-armed Iran. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton
NZ Herald
26 June, 2025

Podcast: Gambling reforms that actually work

In this episode, Eric talks to Tom Mungham, the former Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, about gambling regulation. Drawing from Ontario's successful experience with online gambling regulation, they explore how New Zealand can learn from and adapt international best practices to create a robust, consumer-friendly regulatory framework that protects both players and market interests. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton
Tom Mungham
5 June, 2025
NewstalkZB Mike Hosking square

Newstalk ZB: Dr Eric Crampton on breaking down supermarket market barriers

Dr Eric Crampton talked to Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB about The New Zealand Initiative's blueprint for addressing supermarket competition in New Zealand. The Initiative proposes a five-year fast-track planning framework to enable new international grocery retailers to enter the market, addressing regulatory barriers that currently make it challenging for new supermarket operators to establish themselves. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton
Mike Hosking
Newstalk ZB
29 May, 2025

Podcast: A Fast-Track to stronger grocery competition

In this episode, Eric talks to Benno Blaschke about his groundbreaking report proposing a fast-track supermarket entry and expansion omnibus bill that could revolutionise New Zealand's grocery market. They discuss the regulatory barriers preventing new supermarket chains from entering the market and explore a legislative framework that would streamline planning and consenting processes to enable new grocery retailers to establish multiple stores across the country. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton
29 May, 2025

The Platform: Dr Eric Crampton unpacks Budget 2025's fiscal challenges

Dr Eric Crampton talked to Sean Plunket on The Platform about Budget 2025, providing a critical analysis of the government's fiscal approach. He highlighted concerns about the structural deficit, KiwiSaver contributions, and potential fiscal risks, noting that the budget's overall spending remains similar to the previous Labour government's approach. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton
Sean Plunket
The Platform
23 May, 2025

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