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 to address structural deficits, and New Zealand's position in international trade, ending with optimism about education improvements planned for 2025.
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25:05
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.
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40:37
Making Local Government Work
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 implementing a German-style "Super Mayor" model to giving councillors more oversight powers, with some reforms likely achievable under the current Government.
Read Nick's new report here: www.nzinitiative.org.nz/making-local-government-work
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33:46
Why Doubt Makes Democracy Stronger
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 demonstrates how embracing doubt and curiosity can lead to better understanding between people with opposing views, even if they don't ultimately change their minds.
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29:04
NZ's ETS Forest Controls
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 local land use planning.
New Zealand