Podcast: How professional licencing restricts competition
Dr Eric Crampton
13 August, 2025
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.
Related links:
- Cabinet Office Circular CO (99) 6: Policy framework for occupational regulation.
- Commerce Commission. 2025. Occupational regulation guidelines.
To listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App.