The New Zealand Initiative

In this episode, James talks to Craig Mellare and Abdul Razeed, senior lecturers at the University of Sydney Business School, about their empirical study on grade inflation in Australian higher education. They discuss findings showing that grades have risen significantly over the past decade despite no improvement in student ability, and explore the institutional pressures driving this phenomenon...

In this episode, Oliver talks to Sam Andrews, Chief Strategy Officer at Bastion Security, about New Zealand’s cybersecurity landscape and the evolving threats facing organisations. They explore how AI is reshaping both attacks and defences, the strengths and weaknesses of New Zealand’s regulatory framework, and why building resilience is just as vital as strong security.

In this episode, James Kierstead talks with Sarah McLaughlin, Senior Scholar, Global Expression at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), about her forthcoming book Authoritarians in the Academy. They explore how authoritarian governments, particularly China, pressure universities abroad through funding ties, partnerships, and intimidation of students and scholars. The convers...

In this episode, Eric and Nick talk to Michael Keen, a former Deputy Director of the IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department and co-author of "Rebellion, Rascals and Revenue", about the many ways taxation can go wrong throughout history. They explore bizarre historical taxes like Britain's window tax and ship taxation, discuss New Zealand's exemplary GST system, and examine how poor tax design can lead to...

In this episode, Oliver talks to Stephen Crosswell, a partner at Baker and McKenzie in Hong Kong, the world’s strongest law firm brand. He is chair of the firm’s Asia-Pacific Antitrust & Competition Group and one of Hong Kong’s leading trial lawyers, admitted to practise in five countries. Stephen has seen first-hand how law shapes innovation, and he joins Oliver to explore what history, from Roma...

In this episode, Oliver talks to Roger Partridge about his new report "Unscrambling Government," which proposes consolidating New Zealand's extraordinarily complex government structure from 81 ministerial portfolios, 28 ministers, and 43 departments down to a more manageable 15-20 portfolios with corresponding departmental consolidation. They discuss how New Zealand's fragmented ministerial system...

In this episode, Oliver talks to Eric Crampton and Benno Blaschke about the New Zealand government’s supermarket competition reforms, which closely reflect The New Zealand Initiative’s policy framework—a major policy win that saw their research inform the Minister of Finance’s approach. They explain how their practical policy document shifted government thinking away from heavy-handed breakups and...

In this episode, Oliver talks to James Keirstead about his latest research report "Amazing Grades" which provides the first systematic analysis of grade inflation across all New Zealand universities. They discuss how A-grades have increased by 13 percentage points over two decades, reaching 35% of all grades awarded, and explore potential solutions including statistical moderation systems and nati...

In this episode, Benno Blaschke talks to Oliver Hartwich about the recent Trump-Putin meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, where Trump appeared to abandon the Western position of seeking a ceasefire first in favour of Putin's demand for an immediate "peace deal" that would cement Russian territorial gains. They discuss the troubling implications of Trump applauding Putin on arrival, the bizarre shared ri...

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 ai...

In this episode, Oliver talks to Adelle Keely, Chief Executive of Acumen, about the Initiative's delegation to the Netherlands. They explore the country's remarkable approach to challenges, uncovering how Dutch culture of collaboration, technological innovation, and pragmatic problem-solving offers profound insights for New Zealand's future development and national thinking.

In this episode, Oliver Hartwich talks to Michael Johnston about the government’s proposal to replace New Zealand’s National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) after more than two decades. They discuss how the current system, with its fragmented assessments and focus on collecting credits, has weakened learning. Michael explains how the proposed changes aim to create a clear, curriculum...

In this episode, Oliver talks to Professor Barbara Oakley about her six-month stint as a visiting senior fellow at The New Zealand Initiative, marking her farewell to her time here in New Zealand. Reflecting on her work here, Barbara shares insights into education, discussing the challenges of student-centred learning, her work with the Initiative, and the video project she's created with Michael...

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 planni...

In this second episode of their three-part series on New Zealand's housing crisis, Eric Crampton continues the discussion with Stu Donovan and Benno Blaschke, exploring what competitive urban land markets could look like. Building on their previous exploration of how New Zealand's housing became dysfunctional, they now examine the ideal alternative to the current system, detailing how a more respo...

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 t...

In this episode, Oliver talks to Associate Professor Darwyyn Deyo about her research journey from using popular fiction like Harry Potter to teach economics concepts to her main work on occupational licensing regulations. They discuss what occupational licensing actually involves, how New Zealand's lighter approach compares to the much more extensive system in the United States, and examine whethe...

In this episode, James talks to Professor Ian Pace from City, Saint George's University of London about academic freedom, discussing the challenges facing universities, including political pressures, institutional neutrality, and the need for legislation to protect free speech and critical inquiry in academic settings. The conversation explores recent developments in academic freedom legislation i...

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 protec...

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 n...

In this episode, Oliver talks to Nick Clark about how artificial intelligence could help local government councillors make better decisions. They discuss how AI tools can help councillors understand complex reports, identify key issues, and formulate intelligent questions, ultimately empowering elected representatives who are often overwhelmed by technical information outside their expertise.

In this episode, Michael and James discuss institutional neutrality in universities, examining how the Education and Training Act Amendment Bill addresses universities' ability to take official positions on political matters. They analyse Otago University's draft statement on institutional neutrality, exploring the distinction between universities "taking positions" versus "making statements" on c...

In this episode, James and Michael discuss how the Education Training Amendment Bill transforms school governance in New Zealand. They examine the bill's shift to make student learning the paramount objective for school boards, new requirements to address truancy through attendance management plans, and enhanced assessment standards to improve educational outcomes.

In this episode, Oliver interviews Scott Scoullar, Chief Executive of Summerset, about New Zealand's looming aged care crisis with a projected shortfall of 7,000-8,000 beds by 2030 despite increasing elderly demographics. They discuss how retirement villages provide cost-effective care solutions, the regulatory hurdles of building new facilities, and the urgent need for better dialogue between the...

In this episode, Oliver talks to Nick about his submission regarding New Zealand's proposed parliamentary term extension from three to four years. Nick supports the concept of longer terms but criticises the current proposal's complicated conditional approach, arguing instead for a straightforward extension that should also apply to local government.