The Architect

New Zealand's former minister for housing and resource management is a very specific and important sort of legislator: the kind whose power and influence revolve around the fact that he's a bit of a nerd. During the 2010s, MP Phil Twyford used any means necessary to build a fresh understanding of the housing crisis that was tearing through the lives of his constituents. His conclusions spread to both his political friends and foes, leading his country to do something none ever had - even as he was driven from his ministry and his party from power. We spoke about how that all went down, the oddly durable new politics it unlocked, and the dilemma of getting credit for big ideas. Discussed in the show: "Up-Zoning New Zealand: The localisation of a globally mobile policy idea" by Eleanor West the "leaky homes crisis" of poorly built homes in New Zealand from 1988-2004 KiwiBuild, the NZ Labour Party's failed attempt to build 100,000 publicly subsidized homes by 2028