43. On Liberty | Matthew Lesh | How Big Is Big Enough Government?

“The goal should be to shrink, focus and improve the state.”

On the show this Wednesday, we welcome Adam Smith Institute’s Matthew Lesh. Recently, writing in the IPA Review and The Australian, Matt says assessing public policy responses to covid comes down to the competence, rather than size, of government. Despite countless alternative explanations — such as differences in population size, style of government, and even the gender of political leaders — he argues covid outcomes crucially depend on the quality of governance.

Pointing to a stark contrast between NSW and Victoria, government competence has been the difference between life and death, freedom and tyranny. Matt challenges tired debates that pit big government against small government, and state intervention against market forces. Instead, he says, we must question how well government meets the needs of service-users and delivers bang-for-the-buck for taxpayers.

Join us on YouTube at 12.30pm Wednesday 17 March, when guest host, Glenn Fahey asks how we should assess the competence of the state? Should limited government enthusiasts be concerned about an ever-expansive government? How big is big enough government?

Matt Lesh is Head of Research at the UK’s Adam Smith Institute and is an adjunct fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs. He is a past CIS guest and author of the 2019 book, Democracy in a Divided Australia.

📖 See more from CIS here: https://www.cis.org.au/

💬 Join in the conversation live every Wednesday at 12:30 pm AEST, on YouTube or Facebook.

👍 Like this video if you enjoyed it and want to see more, it really helps us out

🔔 Subscribe to our channel and click the bell to watch our videos first: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5c-JkKHb0YxFZ81XBtFCmw?sub_confirmation=1

Tune in live On Liberty, every Wednesday at 12:30 pm.
____________________

The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) promotes free choice and individual liberty, and defends cultural freedom and the open exchange of ideas. CIS encourages debate among leading academics, politicians, media and the public. We aim to make sure good policy ideas are heard and seriously considered so that Australia can continue to prosper into the future.

Check out the CIS at - https://www.cis.org.au/
Subscribe to CIS mailing list- https://www.cis.org.au/subscribe/
Support us with a tax-deductible donation at - https://www.cis.org.au/support/
Join the CIS as a member at - https://www.cis.org.au/join-cis/
Follow CIS on Socials
Twitter - https://twitter.com/CISOZ
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/CentreIndependentStudies/
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-centre-for-independent-studies/
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3fFQPpcQrDXrtrE7Zk4fgs