In this episode, Michael talks to Professor Barbara Oakley, a McGraw Prize recipient, New York Times bestselling author and creater of the world's largest Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) with over 5 million students.They discuss evidence-based approaches to mathematics education and the problems with constructivist teaching methods, while outlini…

In this episode, Eric talks to Patrick Phelps, Manager at Minerals West Coast, about the complex challenges of rural council governance including infrastructure costs, heritage regulations, and voter apathy. They discuss how small towns struggle with funding vital services across widely dispersed communities while managing political incentives that…

In this episode, Oliver Hartwich interviews Michael about his new research report "Trade Routes," which examines how New Zealand can improve its apprenticeship system by adopting elements of Germany's dual education model.They discuss the stark contrast between Germany's highly respected apprenticeship system (with 50% participation) and New Zealan…

In this episode, Oliver Hartwich and former Australian Department of Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo discuss growing regional security threats, with Pezzullo warning of a 10-20% chance of conflict with China while advocating for an integrated ANZAC military force.Pezzullo argues that New Zealand should reconsider its anti-nuclear stance to …

In this episode, Oliver interviews Jemma Stevenson, a new economist at The New Zealand Initiative, about her background and current research on government inefficiency.Jemma is working on a sequel to the Initiative's research on "Cabinet Congestion," examining whether New Zealand's complex government structure of 81 portfolios and 28 ministers lead…

In this episode, Oliver talks to Bryce about his new report "The People's Portfolio", which examines New Zealand's $571 billion in Crown-owned assets and makes the case for privatising many of them to improve economic efficiency rather than simply raising funds.They discuss how current government ownership of these assets is actually costing taxpay…

In this episode, Eric talks to Marko Garlick about how New Zealand's local government planning and zoning regulations create anti-competitive conditions in the retail sector, particularly for supermarkets. They explore specific examples of bizarre regulatory barriers to market entry and discuss potential solutions to enable more competition, such a…

In this episode, Michael and Oliver sound the alarm about the transformation of global power following a February 2025 phone call between Presidents Trump and Putin, where the US reportedly conceded to Russia's demands over Ukraine without consulting European allies. They examine what they see as the collapse of the post-WWII liberal democratic ord…

In this episode, James and Michael talk to Stephanie Martin from the Free Speech Union (and also the New Zealand Initiative) about a Law Commission consultation paper on hate crime legislation.The discussion examines the shift from treating hate as an aggravating factor in sentencing to creating specific hate crime offenses, while exploring philoso…

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…

In this episode, Oliver talks to Bryce about the Regulatory Standards Bill, which aims to prevent laws and regulations that would make New Zealanders worse off. Bryce explains that while there's currently a discussion document out for public feedback from the Ministry of Regulation, some recent criticisms misunderstand what's being suggested.…

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…

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% feder…

In this episode, Michael talks to Travis Brown, a filmmaker who explores how different ideologies can lead to polarisation and dogmatic thinking, drawing from his own experiences in both fundamentalist Christian and leftist circles.The two discuss how growing political division threatens democracy and examine Brown's doco "When in Doubt," which dem…

In this episode, Oliver and Nick discuss the fundamental problems with New Zealand's local government system, particularly how elected officials often lack real power while unelected bureaucrats and chief executives wield excessive influence.Nick's new report "Making Local Government Work" proposes five potential solutions, ranging from implementin…

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 loc…

In this podcast episode, Eric and Bryce discuss the history of regulatory reform efforts in New Zealand since 2001, focusing on the development of the Regulatory Standards Bill and its original mechanism of court declarations of inconsistency.They explore how diminished trust in courts' interpretations of laws has complicated this approach today, w…

In this episode, Eric and Michael discuss Australia's proposed law to ban social media for under-16s, examining how age verification would likely require government ID and create serious privacy risks as platforms would need to store this sensitive data. While acknowledging concerns about social media's impact on young people, they argue the Austra…

In this episode, Eric talks to Dr Dylan Mordaunt, a clinician and visiting fellow at Victoria University, about healthcare policy and regulation in New Zealand, sparked by a recent Niskanen Centre report highlighting how supply constraints affect healthcare delivery.They explore various regulatory barriers affecting medical practitioners, scope of …

In this episode, marking the eve of the Berlin Wall's anniversary, New Zealand filmmaker Tony Forster joins Oliver to share his powerful experience of witnessing its fall on November 9, 1989. He reflects on the stark contrasts between East and West Berlin at that time and how this pivotal moment reshaped his personal outlook, deepening his belief i…

In this episode, Michael and James talk to Oxford theologian Nigel Biggar as he discusses his experiences with academic cancel culture and argues that while the British Empire had significant flaws, it also helped spread important liberal values and institutions throughout the world.The conversation then delves into how modern universities are stru…

In this episode, Michael talks to Stephanie Martin about the concerning state of academic freedom policies being developed by New Zealand universities.They examine how several universities' draft policies might actually restrict rather than protect academic freedom, with particular attention to the University of Auckland's Senate recently rejecting…

In this episode, Dr Eric Crampton and Prof Steven Hamilton explore why New Zealand and Australia's COVID responses shared similar successes and failures despite their different paths. Their conversation draws from Hamilton's new book "Australia's Pandemic Exceptionalism: How we crushed the curve but lost the race," examining how both countries exce…

In this episode, Oliver and Nick talk to Oliver Wittke, former mayor of Gelsenkirchen. They discuss a significant local government reform in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, that could offer valuable insights for New Zealand's current system. The German state transitioned from a model similar to New Zealand's current setup - with separate mayor and…

In this episode, Oliver talks to Roger and Richard Ekins. They discuss concerns about judicial overreach by New Zealand's Supreme Court, as outlined Roger's latest research report for the New Zealand Initiative. They argue that the court is effectively making law rather than interpreting it, and they propose several legislative measures to reassert…