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

Dr Eric Crampton spoke to Sean Plunket on The Platform about privatisation. Watch below. 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, 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, 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