New Zealand has built one of the most complex executive governments in the developed world, with 81 ministerial portfolios, 28 ministers and 43 departments. Could streamlining this maze enhance accountability, efficiency and policy coherence?
Join Roger Partridge, Chair of The New Zealand Initiative and co-author of the new report "Unscrambling Government: Less Confusion, More Efficiency", for this webinar launching the findings. It will include an overview of how New Zealand's executive has proliferated over time, the fiscal and governance costs of this fragmentation, and a practical pathway to consolidate portfolios and align departmental structures.
Roger will be joined by Dr Murray Horn CNZM, former Secretary of The Treasury, who will share his perspective on the links between executive sprawl, spending pressures and blurred accountability lines.
Date: Tuesday, 2 September 2025
Time: 2:30pm
Please register for the webinar via this link. Also, submit your question in advance on Slido.com using code #3528085
Roger Partridge, Chairman and Senior Fellow, The New Zealand Initiative
Roger is the chairman and co-founder of The New Zealand Initiative, is a senior researcher and regular media commentator on public policy and constitutional law. He previously led law firm Bell Gully as executive chairman after 16 years as a commercial litigation partner. Partridge holds advisory roles with the Legal Research Foundation, the New Zealand Law Review, and the University of Auckland Business School.
Dr Murray Horn, Adjunct Senior Fellow, The New Zealand Initiative
Murray started his career as a government official with the Treasury, including five years as secretary to the Treasury. This was followed by eight years with ANZ Banking Group, including four years as chief executive of the New Zealand operation and three years as managing director of ANZ’s global institutional banking.
Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director, The New Zealand Initiative
Oliver is the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. Before joining the Initiative, he was a Research Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney, the Chief Economist at Policy Exchange in London, and an advisor in the UK House of Lords. Oliver holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Business administration and a PhD in Law from Bochum University in Germany.