New Zealand Business Roundtable

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The New Zealand Business Roundtable (NZBR), a market-oriented thinktank, operates from Wellington, New Zealand. Businessman Robert McLeod chairs the organisation, with Diane Foreman and Bill Day as Vice-Chairs. Staff members include executive director Roger Kerr and policy advisor Norman LaRocque. Members, who pay a five-figure subscription fee, represent most of the large business interests in the country. The subscription fee funds the New Zealand Business Roundtable's activities.

The New Zealand Business Roundtable has the aim of contributing to the development of policies that it believes reflect New Zealand's overall national interests. To this end, the organisation produces a wide range of publications (books, reports, submissions) and undertakes other activities that inform/influence public debate on key policy issues. Over the years the organisation has brought many prominent speakers to New Zealand, including Bjørn Lomborg, Francis Fukuyama, Martin Wolf of the Financial Times and Yegor Gaidar.

The NZBR strongly supported the controversial market-oriented reforms undertaken in New Zealand during the 1980s and 1990s. These reforms were intended to play a role in lifting New Zealand's economic growth-rate. The country as of the early 21st century boasts one of the lowest unemployment rates in the OECD. However, the benefits of such reforms remain a point of contention among economic commentators and members of the public. Also, other business organisations, such as the Business Council for Sustainable Development and The New Zealand Institute, claim to present alternative views in public debate.

The NZBR's market-based policy advocacy continues to reflect what it sees as world best practice and often appear aligned with those advocated by international organisations such as the OECD and the International Monetary Fund. Its policies also track overseas trends toward greater use of the private sector and reduced regulation of business and enterprise.