Ashley Balls tackles this topic in New Zealand business magazine Dec 2011/January 2012 edition http://www.nzbusinessco.nz/ He found proof New Zealand isn't over-regulated or overtaxed. To see the latest research, go to http://www.doingbusiness.org/ and download the report entitled Doing Business in a More Transparent World (published by the World Bank). Ashley's article entitled ‘The Consequence-Free Society' is well worth reading.