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Newstalk ZB: Ryan Bridge on The Initiative's report on government bloat

Ryan Bridge on Newstalk ZB highlights the New Zealand Initiative's report on government bureaucracy, which reveals that Aotearoa has 44 per cent more ministers, nearly triple the portfolios, and one and a half times more departments compared to similar nations. Bridge uses Ireland as a key comparison, emphasising how they manage with just 15 ministers and 18 departments, while questioning why New Zealand needs 78 portfolios and 40 agencies to function effectively. Read more

Ryan Bridge

Newstalk ZB

18 February, 2025

When politicians campaign on competition, be very worried

It’s fair to say that economists like competition. It’s also fair to say that, when politicians start talking about competition, economists ought to get a little bit nervous. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton

Newsroom

29 January, 2025

Growth is good: how the PM’s speech has moved the vibe

If you’re reading this in print with your morning coffee, you’re probably not among the terminally online. For those who are among the terminally online, always hooked into what’s going on on Twitter and elsewhere, there’s probably no need to explain the vibes, or the shift in vibes. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton

The Post

27 January, 2025

Transparency, not ideology: The case for the Regulatory Standards Bill

Misinformation about the pending Regulatory Standards Bill is rife. Currently, there is no Bill, only a departmental discussion document. Read more

Dr Bryce Wilkinson ONZM

NZ Herald

23 January, 2025

A pessimist’s reasons to be optimistic in 2025

When Newsroom’s editor Jonathan Milne invited me to write one of two special pieces for the summer break, I faced quite the conundrum. My options were to review a work of non-fiction or write a column about hope and optimism for 2025. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich

Newsroom

17 January, 2025

Bold action the only course amid sure signs of economic 'hell ride'

We can only hope that New Zealand’s politicians had a good break over the summer because 2025 promises to be a hell of a ride. If the government thought last year was tough, this year will be even more demanding. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich

The Australian

17 January, 2025

How did we end up so asset-rich but service-poor?

Something is seriously wrong with New Zealand’s public wealth. We rank near the top globally for per-capita resources and assets - ahead of most OECD nations. Read more

Roger Partridge

NZ Herald

16 January, 2025

Submission: Discussion Document on the Proposed Regulatory Standards Bill

1 INTRODUCTION AND MAIN POINTS 1.1 This submission on the Ministry for Regulation’s Discussion Document on the proposed Regulatory Standards Bill is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. In combination, our members employ more than 150,000 people. Read more

Dr Bryce Wilkinson ONZM

Submission

13 January, 2025

Podcast: From Dependency to Development: A First Nations Governance Success Story

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

Dr Eric Crampton

Chief Derek Epp

18 December, 2024

Government's budget plan is lacklustre and possibly illegal

The New Zealand Treasury's latest forecasts and the Government's Budget Policy Statement (BPS) are disquieting. Public debt management looks lax and possibly illegal, government spending entrenches excess rather than tackles it, and productivity growth measures are welcome but piecemeal. Read more

Dr Bryce Wilkinson ONZM

The Post

18 December, 2024

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