Category: Economic Issues
Let’s make no mistake about the situation we face. Under the cover of the Covid crisis, the government is pushing ahead with reforms that will fundamentally change our society from an open democracy based on the equality of all, to a tribal apartheid system that allocates resources and grants rights according to a person's heritage and the colour of their skin.
A free and independent press is a critically important foundation to any democracy. Without it, governments can go unchecked and the rule of law will suffer. One only has to see the events in Hong Kong over the last two years to see the impact on a society where the influence of the press has been extinguished.
It is now clear that the Government has staked its political future on the Pfizer vaccine strategy, which requires near universal vaccination and regular booster doses.
The apparent kindness of locking down to limit Covid-19 deaths will, instead, be killing more people by making us poorer - lockdowns are one of our greatest peacetime policy failures.
The Level 4 lockdown imposed on March 25 2020 in New Zealand was the world’s most restrictive set of closure and containment policies at the time.
My first reaction to the "compelling" financial benefits claimed by Minister Mahuta was scepticism, for two reasons. First, the figures seem too good to be true. And second, as someone familiar with discounted cash flow analysis, I'm aware that minor "adjustment" to an underlying assumption can result in a significantly different result - the difference between a favourable or unfavourable recommendation.
Poor outcomes are given as concrete and conclusive evidence. This is simply not the case for most Māori. Their living standards have improved enormously, as has equality of opportunity.
New Zealand is at a crossroads. If Kiwis don’t proactively back a colour-blind future - united by what we have in common instead of divided by our differences - then that small group of radical extremists, who already have their hands on the levers of power, will replace democracy with tribal rule.
The Climate Change Minister James Shaw has published a Risk Assessment of the effects of global climate change on New Zealand during the next 5 years. It is a massive document which which will form the basis of a National Adaptation Plan in the next few months. This Plan is expected to “transform the economy” and have major impacts on private property rights.
My view is that because of the implications of transferring over a quarter of Council’s total assets at below valuation there is only one safe road to take. I will be advocating for a binding referendum to go out to the people of Westland seeking direction on in or out. It’s called democracy.
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