The Free market Zealots from New Zealand.

Part 7 in our series, about the advisory board of fcpp. Here are all the previous parts:

(Part 1 Ya gotta have friends; Part 2 Guild of Calamitous Intent?; Part 3 Think Tank Circle Jerk; Part 4 Dueling Banjo's; Part 5 Frank Luntz - cunning linguist, Part 6 Follow the bouncing Ball Frank Frink wrote this piece last night about The Heartland institutes attempts to add some junk to our kids educational diet: They're Blinding Us With 'Science-y'

Today's installment is about two members who are both from New Zealand.

I'll start with Ruth Richardson, a member of the National Party, she was elected in 1981 to the parliament. She became the Minister of Finance when that party came to power in 1990.

When the elections came in 1993, the National party held onto power by the margin of 1 seat. Apparently there was a widely held belief that they nearly lost because of Ruth Richardsons WILD popularity. Hell, if you had a whole economic scorch and burn policy named after you.....

"Ruthanasia" .

Anyway. Ms Richarson, like so many in this series, is also plugged into the Think tank/foundation/institute axis of evil. Ready? From the Wiki. Don't bother clutching yer pearls. Get yer rosary. Or anything alchoholic.

Hayek stressed that the society was to be a scholarly community arguing against collectivism, while not engaging in public relations or propaganda. However, the society has always been a focal point for an international think-tank movement; Hayek himself used it as a forum to encourage members such as Antony Fisher to pursue the think-tank route. Fisher went on to establish the Institute of Economic Affairs(IEA) in London during 1971, the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., during 1973, the Manhattan Institute for Public Policy search in New York City during 1977 and the Atlas Economic Research Foundation in 1981. In turn the Atlas Foundation supports a wide network of think-tanks, including the Fraser Institute.

Do you hear those Banjo's again?

Prominent MPS members who have advanced to policy positions include Chancellor Ludwig Erhard of West Federal Republic of Germany Germany, President Luigi Einaudi of Italy, Chairman Arthur F. Burns of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board, U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe of the U.K., Italian Minister of Defence Antonio Martino, Chilean Finance Minister Carlos Cáceres, New Zealand Finance Minister Ruth Richardson and President Václav Klaus of the Czech Republic. Eight MPS members, F. A. Hayek, Milton Friedman, George Stigler, Maurice Allais, James M. Buchanan, Ronald Coase, Gary S. Becker and Vernon Smith have won Nobel prizes in economics. Of 76 economic advisers on Ronald Reagan's 1980 campaign staff, 22 were MPS members

Reganomics, Ruthanasia......Ahhhhhhh. The Chicago school......

Another Former New Zealand politician, Sir Roger Owen Douglas is also on the think tank circuit...He is the Roger in "Rogernomics". (these people do leave a lasting impression!) He even has an award named after him...

The Roger Award

In a back-handed compliment, the founders in 1997 of the award for "The Worst Transnational Corporation operating in New Zealand" - as voted by left-wing groups - named it "the Roger Award" after Sir Roger Douglas.

After Roger's retirement he discovered speaking engagements for places like The Centre for Independent Studies. They also have people like this:

In June 2006, the Australian Financial Review reported that a 30th
anniversary dinner attended by 600 supporters with the keynote address by Prime
Minister John Howard raised $2.5 million. The CIS is aiming to raise $10 million
as a capital fund to underpin the centre's operations.

And now Rogernomics, and Ruthanasia, are both proud members of.....The Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

This has been the 7th edition in our series, Think Tanks and you! Join us again soon!