GUEST BLOG: Bryan Bruce – ACT applauds Labour Policy
A press release by ACT yesterday applauding Labour’s neoliberal public /private “user pays” solution to paying for the water and sewerage infrastructure at the Millbrook housing development announced by Minister Phil Tywford, tells you that Right wing neoliberal economic thinking is still alive and well in our coalition government.
Public/Private partnerships is something the previous National government advocated.
Although the details of how these deals work differ slightly in each case, the basic idea is that the government (that ALL of us) should pay for as little as possible and push debt onto private citizens with a “user pays” philosophy.
That’s why we have one of the lowest levels Public debt in the OCEC and one of the highest levels of Household debt .
During the election Jacinda Ardern told RNZ (Sept.12 2017 that “neoliberalism has failed and New Zealand has always been served well by interventionist government”:
I was heartened . I believed her.
But the walk has not matched the talk.
What we are seeing first with the austerity budget , the the preliminary tax review release that will not change GST or Corporate tax and now with the adoption of National’s public/private partnership model is that the Zombie economics neoliberalism which Labour gave birth to in 1984 is alive and well and still stalks the corridors of our parliament.
“Disappointing ” doesn’t cover it.
PS If you want to watch my 2012 documentary Mind The Gap on neoliberalism in New Zealand you can find it here :
Bryan Bruce is one of NZs most respected documentary makers and public intellectuals who has tirelessly exposed NZs neoliberal economic settings as the main cause for social issues.
Keep up the good work Bryan
the Govt.’s miserly fiscal cap on borrowing to GDP ratio, has throttled back any radical moves, like say a massive state house build, or disestablishing WINZ/MSD and instituting the worlds first nationwide GMI/UBI with basic free WiFi included…
yes, I have heard various commentators say the Kiwibuild houses may distort the market away from developers profiteering, in conjunction with other policy, to would be homeowners favour, but it is all too ‘sophisticated’ for the 50% of New Zealanders that have SFA of the wealth! they need a living wage, right to strike, and a firm Capital Gains Tax on multiple property owners–not “sending signals to the market” rhetoric
the Labour Caucus, and the top echelons of the State Sector that advise them, are loaded to the gunwales with unreconstructed Neo Libs still sour that Rog and Ruth did not go all the way–they are not the new governments, and especially not the underclass, working poor and even middle classes, friends!
An endorsement from ACT is the equivalent of a red flag or a flashing neon sign saying STOP! WRONG WAY!
Which Protocol is our leadership reading at the moment ?
http://www.sherryshriner.com/protocols2.htm