Roger Partridge: Time to Unscramble Government

New Zealand has built one of the most complex executive governments in the developed world. With 81 ministerial portfolios spread across 28 ministers and 43 departments, we operate with more than three times as many ministerial portfolios and nearly twice as many departments as peer nations like Ireland, Norway and Singapore. Our executive structure is more like a game of Twister than a system of government.

Last year, The New Zealand Initiative's Cabinet Congestion report first exposed the consequences of this ministerial maze.

Dr Oliver Hartwich: Demystifying the state - what do you see?

Look at the cover of our new report Demystifying the State. What do you see? The image looks like a Rorschach test - those ink patterns used by psychologists. We chose this design on purpose. Just like a Rorschach test, the state means different things to different people.

Some see the state as the Prime Minister and elected government. Others think of ministerial staff and advisers. Many picture big government offices or workers like nurses, teachers and police. The truth is, the state is all of these - and more.