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 taxpayers money, the historical success of privatisations like Telecom, and the challenges of implementing a politically viable privatisation strategy.
You can read the research report "The People's Portfolio: A $571 Billion Question" on The New Zealand Initiative website www.nzinitiative.org.nz
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16:30
How local planning rules block retail competition
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 as national policy statements and amendments to the Commerce Act.
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34:51
The day the West Died: A wake-up call for New Zealand
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 order and its dire implications for Europe, the Pacific region, and New Zealand's future in an increasingly unstable world.
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35:09
The Trouble with Hate Crime Laws
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 philosophical questions about hate motivation and concerns about free speech implications.
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46:56
Responding to Salmond: Democracy, Classical Liberalism, and the Regulatory Standards Bill
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 her broader historical argument linking classical liberal organisations like the Mont Pelerin Society to anti-democratic movements, arguing instead that classical liberalism has historically stood against totalitarianism and for democratic values.
New Zealand