In this podcast episode, Oliver interviews Max Salmon about the findings of a recent survey of New Zealand local government officials, detailed in his latest research note called "The Pulse of Local Government."

The survey reveals that local councils generally desire more autonomy from central government, feel financial pressures from population growth, and support localism, but also highlights some contradictions in their views on amalgamation and their relationship with ratepayers.

You can read Max Salmon's research note "The Pulse of Local Government" on The New Zealand Initiative's website at https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/the-pulse-of-local-government/