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
Everyone is familiar with the term ‘monopoly’. It gets used a lot, often inappropriately. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton talked to Sean Plunkett on The Platform about David Seymour's proposal to review mandatory cycle helmet laws and the economic effects of helmet mandates. Dr Crampton explained how helmet requirements may actually reduce overall cycling rates and discussed research suggesting the health costs from decreased cycling could outweigh safety benefits from mandatory helmets. Read more
When government makes it hard for a start-up company’s investors to sell up and move on, it simultaneously warns other investors to steer clear. Or, as economists sometimes put it, barriers to exit are barriers to entry. Read more
1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.1 This submission on the Employment Relations Amendment Bill (the Bill) is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. Read more
In this episode, Eric talks to Ben Hamlin, Barrister at Clifton Chambers, about new Commerce Commission guidelines on occupational regulation and how professional licencing systems can restrict competition and increase prices for consumers. They discuss how government-created licencing boards often operate like cartels by limiting who can enter professions, and how the Commission's new guidance aims to prevent these anti-competitive practices. Read more
Land transport funding is not in great shape. Minister Bishop’s announcement last week of a shift from petrol excise to road user charges should be the first step toward a much better funding system. Read more
I wonder whether Britain’s new role in the world is to show others what not to do. Their government sets policies that are about as sensible as jumping from high cliffs with neither parachute nor bungee cord. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton talked to Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB about the Treasury report detailing government spending during the COVID-19 period. Dr Crampton highlighted that about half of the spending was not well-targeted and largely wasted, while advocating for the New Zealand Initiative's recommendation of an independent fiscal institution to provide critical advice to Parliament. Read more
Those who grew up reading the old Greek myths will be familiar with Cassandra’s curse. Cassandra was a Trojan princess, blessed by the Gods with the gift of true prophecy – she really could see the future. Read more
1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 This submission to the Inquiry into online harms is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. Read more
The government is worried about the harms some youths experience on social media. The Prime Minister has announced his support for age limits. Read more
Some things are legitimately confusing. Canada’s low-risk drinking guidelines are not confusing. Read more
In this episode, Eric talks to Michael Simcock, a structural engineer and recent MBA graduate, about the complex challenges preventing the introduction of cheaper building materials in New Zealand. They dive deep into the regulatory, technical, and economic barriers that make it difficult to use alternative building products, exploring how unique building codes, testing requirements, and the small scale of the New Zealand construction market create obstacles to reducing building costs. Read more
You might not remember 2025, even though it’s only two decades ago. AI was only just beginning. Read more
In this final episode of their three-part series, Dr Eric Crampton, Dr Benno Blaschke and Dr Stuart Donovan critically examine the government's housing discussion document, assessing its potential to create more competitive urban land markets. They explore whether the proposed reforms genuinely move towards a more responsive and dynamic urban development system or remain trapped in existing planning paradigms. You can also listen to Part 1 and 2 here: Going for Housing Growth (Part 1): How we got into this mess - Struggling with uncompetitive urban land markets Going for Housing Growth (Part 2): The way out - The benefits of competitive urban land markets To listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more
