What we stand for

Some of our published contributions to the public policy debate

Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 96: How oily are Samoan fish these days?

After an unintended hiatus, the Iron Duke trio is back in the studio to bring you your weekly recap of all things policy and politics. We discuss the newly appointed and well awaited Public Service Commissioner, the checks and balances of the building and construction reform and the latest polls which are a bit dire for some. Then we end with the never-ending Wellington Councillors debacle with threats of Central Government intervention, Foodstuffs’ latest approach of attacking the methodology used to prove New Zealand has a grocery pricing problem and the sinking of our Navy ship HMNZS Manawanui.

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode: 95: Are you ready to come back to the office?

Jesse and Henry carry us through this week alone as Maddy tries out working from home, just as the luxury is being ripped from the hands of public servants across the land. They take us through the state of AI - regulation and its role in education and some classic Jesse Corlett energy chat.

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 94: How many expired gift cards do you have in your undie drawer?

This week the team at Iron Duke Studio’s take you through the pushbacks against the Government’s reversal of speed limit reductions, the US election debate and the ever demising poll results for Chris Hipkins. Henry also gives his take on the Government’s loose approach to regulating AI, Jesse is pleased that he will no longer waste those heartfelt expired gift cards, and Maddy gives us a run down on her infatuation of the Polkinghorne case. Enjoy. 

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 93: Were US presidential debate picks correct?

Another week, another podcast in Iron Duke Studios. Our peaks this time round include the latest global developments in AI, capital gains tax being back on the table with the opposition as well as the latest riveting ANZ Business Confidence Survey. The pits this week include protests following France’s appointment of the new Prime Minister, our poor podcast timing with the US presidential debate and schools having to send kids home due to teacher shortages.

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Celebrating - and supporting - the survival of small businesses

In the face of very difficult conditions, our small business community in New Zealand - tens of thousands of entrepreneurs and the Kiwis who work for them - has once again proved its resilience. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the people who take on a small business and make it work. They are collectively our largest employers and they provide many of the things that we rely on day to day.

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 92: Would you let your kids go to an Aussie university?

The Iron Duke Studio’s trio take you through some of their ups and downs in New Zealand and around the world from the past week. Our peaks include the new alcohol laws being implemented by Auckland Council, the approach to infrastructure that the country is looking to take and finally someone explains how the mighty Paralympics actually work! But we always have our pits… this week we discuss what is happening with the infamous Let’s Get Wellington Moving project and the Golden Mile, the Treasury’s boss leaving and her last hurrah as well as the 2024 Annual Grocery Report from the Commerce Commission.  

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 91: Was Luxon really that mean?

This week we take you through everything local government with the mystical Regional Deals and Luxon’s ‘mean’ speech, as well as some classic policy wonk action with the Fast-Track Bill changes and how the Government plans on solving our domestic energy shock. We also dive into some international waters with a US election update and the mighty AB’s playing over in Johannesburg.

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 90: Is it just me or is everything expensive?

Power bills, interest bills, grocery bills, they're all ramping up! This week we talk all things needed for a competative market. We also cover off the fraudulent ways people are getting kids into good schools and the heat Kamala Harris is bringing to the presidental race.

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 89: How hard is year 12 math?

The team at Iron Duke Studios runs you through some of their highs and lows from the last seven days in the world of policy and politics. Maddy goes back-to-back with another week of fun Olympic facts, Henry outlines the Government’s new Climate Emissions Tool for manufacturers and Jesse gives us the downlow on Minister Erica Stanford’s new way to teach math to school kids. The lows include the UK riots, tension between MPs, as well as a recap of what’s happening in Venezuela and the New Zealand energy crisis.

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 88: What's an Olympic medal worth?

Your favourite policy and politics podcast rounds out July with a sporting special in appreciation of the 2024 Paris Olympics kicking off. The team also cover the regulating of the online casino market, the future for nuclear power, rising social licence issues with tourism across the globe and the not-so-democratic election in Venezuela. The release of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care marks one of the darkest days in history for New Zealand – we begin to scratch the surface of this harrowing and in-depth report to finish.

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 87: Who will Kamala Harris pick as her running mate?

Your weekly policy and politics commentators are back in Iron Duke Studios. The team dive full noise into the IT sector with a debrief on what happened with the global CrowdStrike outage and New Zealand might finally be following suit with open banking. They discuss Kamala Harris taking over from Sleepy Joe, the Tauranga City election, the Health NZ takeover and the dire times of New Zealand’s energy sector. A mighty week of content!

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 86: Has Trump just won the presidency?

Straight from Iron Duke Studios –  Jesse, Maddy and Henry take you through the big news in the US with Trump being shot and his confident selection of JD Vance for VP. We also discuss the latest Emissions Reduction Plan from the Government, the continuation of the Darleen Tana Saga, some interesting speed camera policy and New Zealand’s poor OECD stats.

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 85: Should the Government track us?

Another relentless week of policy and politics to recap on. The team first take you through their doom and glooms, including the Early Childcare Education sector (again), as well as the French election results and the implosion of President Biden and his Democratic Party and supporters. But after every storm, there is a rainbow – this week it is Going for Housing Growth, the smartest of RUC possibilities, and the brightest and breeziest places to work in Aotearoa in 2024.

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 84: Can we surf out way to prosperity?

Iron Duke Studios is jam packed today with all three of your favourite podcasters covering a grand old week of policy and politics from around the world. The weekly peaks entail Maddy getting excited over the Government’s next quarterly plan, Jesse unpacks PCE Simon Upton’s latest speech on inconvenient truths to an environmentalists, while Henry explores how NZ is going to surf its way to prosperity through a new tourism development in Auckland. Lows of the week are Biden’s big election debate debacle, the new Sports Integrity Commission and the dire times for hospo.

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 83: Which birds should we save?

It’s just Jesse and Maddy this week as the colleague with the good hair takes some much needed R&R. They cover off the up coming presidential debate, cash for cancer drugs and ponder if we can really save every bird?

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 82: Should we buy the government's plane?

A big week in politics but one hero seems to be making it into every story, king of the YIMBY's Chris Bishop. From granny flats and fast track consents, all the way to be harrassed for info over instagram, he's a busy busy guy! We also cover off scrutiny week, Beach Energy and how tough it is for Henry to buy a house.

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 81: Should we be paying an MP's mortgage?

Buckle up as the IDP trio take you through their ups and downs of this week’s policy and politics. We cover everything from it being the most agricultural time of the year, Jesse gets stuck into the oil and gas ban, more MPs (and now parties too…) getting in trouble, the 2024 India election, the equity around Lotto, plus Maddy and Henry go head-to-head over the MP accommodation allowance.

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 80: Where are our cancer drugs?

How bad is our drinking problem? Plus the end of department stores, the overregulation of your kid's kindy,  another turn in the story of Tiwai Point and the return of economics king Henry!

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Ben Craven Ben Craven

Episode 79: The Big Budget Special!

It’s the most exciting time of the year – the day you have all been waiting for – Budget 2024! After studying the documentation of the nation’s piggy bank all day, Jesse, Maddy and Henry take you through their peaks and troughs of the budget and outline some of the fiscal funnies that they have come across.

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