Category: Economic Issues
November 6 was a day of reckoning for the United States. It was the day the American people delivered a regime change by electing Donald J Trump as their 47th President. In what has been described as the greatest political comeback of all times, the 78-year-old went through hell to achieve his historic victory.
The cause of the problem we face is, of course, the inexorable rise in expenditure on super and healthcare as our population ages. While we currently have around 800,000 retirees, by 2061 this number is expected to approach 2 million. At that time the number of workers per pensioner will fall from around four to one today, to just two to one.
Competition is just as important in government as it is in private sector markets. The lack of competition, over the past 80 years, in government-owned social service institutions, is why they are in such a mess today, when compared to say Singapore’s welfare institutions.
The battle for democracy is still raging as the Coalition Government defends Parliamentary sovereignty against attack by tribal leaders – along with their allies in the judiciary, the media, academia and State sector - who are using a ‘weaponized’ version of the Treaty to advance Maori sovereignty.
We stand at a constitutional crossroads. Will we allow our Supreme Court to continue its drift towards judicial supremacy? Or will Parliament act to restore the proper balance? The choice is clear. In our democracy, voters - through their elected representatives – should have the final say in shaping our laws, not unaccountable judges. It is time for Parliament to act.
Red tape and bureaucracy are still out of control in this country. The state sector is still bloated and in need of firm direction to make it productive and less obstructive. Entrepreneurial Kiwis need to be encouraged, not penalised, so they can help to turn the country around and take us forward towards a better future.
The pursuit of ‘Net Zero” partly driven by a mistaken belief that if New Zealand reduced its emissions our climate will be better, has driven the ban on gas exploration and the desire to shut down our coal fired station, even though it is doing a vital job in keeping the lights on. It has also given us expensive and unreliable wind and solar power.
The judgments in the High Court and Court of Appeal show how little regard some members of the judiciary have for the will of Parliament. In my view, the right thing to do would be to shut the door on customary title by returning the marine and coastal area to Crown ownership, managed for the benefit of all New Zealanders.
While fixing the carnage Labour created is no easy matter, many of those serious problems that are now emerging are systemic, caused by our changing demographic - band aid solutions will help, but only comprehensive reform can save New Zealand from becoming yet another failing nation.
First published May 2024: This article calls on all New Zealanders to be clear-eyed about the state of social services in this country - particularly health, education, welfare and superannuation - and to acknowledge that without major changes the system will inevitably collapse under its own weight.
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