Editorial: Time for toast to hope after gruelling year

The death of 29 miners in the Pike River tragedy added to a gruelling year for many. Photo / Greymouth Evening Star.

The passing of a year is accompanied by an odd mix of nostalgia, celebration, sadness and impatience to be done with the past. Before we greet the new year there is an urge to take stock of this one. An earthquake and a mine disaster will make 2010 memorable in New Zealand's history but more mundane developments should be noted too.

It was the year that Auckland, for better or worse, was re-organised, that taxes were cut on incomes but raised on purchases of goods and services. It was another hard year for everyone trying to maintain a business after the 2008 recession.

The economy appeared to be recovering well in the first half but seemed to stall in the third quarter and Christmas was slow. Shops held pre-Christmas sales this year. Despite the stimulants of tax cuts and a deepening deficit the Government has budgeted for the year, people are spending little. Households are still reducing debt from the levels reached before the house-price bubble burst in 2007.

Property markets had another year in the doldrums, as did the stock market.

At least farmers had a better time. International food prices have been high, but so was the exchange rate, reflecting the greater hardships in other economies.

The United States dollar fell heavily on the stimulants adopted by the US Federal Reserve, while the euro has had to absorb the profligacy of Greece, the banking debts of Ireland and may have to find new ways to rescue errant subscribers to the common currency.

New Zealand suffered a collapse on the fringes of its financial system. South Canterbury Finance called on the taxpayers' guarantee to the tune of $1.6 billion and the Government put it in receivership. Not all 35,000 investors were grateful; hundreds rallied in Timaru in support of Allan Hubbard.

It was the year a priest convinced a jury he honestly believed he had a right to damage the Waihopai spy dome, a speed boat protester went aboard a southern ocean whaler and landed in a Japanese jail, and an MP admitted he had once stolen a dead child's identity as a lark to get a false passport.

It was the year that Psa became a kiwifruit infestation, Paul Henry went too far, so did Andy Haden. Sir Peter Jackson's next film was used for public extortion. North Shore's last mayor was caught short.

Auckland Museum farewelled a contentious director, climate change went quiet, New Zealand had a spring drought.

The Government backed down on mining conservation land, it opted to raise the driving age by only a year, and raise the age for off-licence liquor purchases but not to lower the drink-driving limit.

It is persisting with national primary school standards, a pre-school funding cut, and plans to make university study loans depend on the applicant's progress.

But it will not raise the age of pension entitlement despite the Retirement Commissioner's advice. It has a working group studying compulsory saving and another looking at putting widows, invalids and infants' mothers into the workforce. But it rejected equally daring suggestions from its tax working group this year.

The Prime Minister remains very popular. His partnership with the Maori Party endures. His other partner, Act, has had an inglorious year but its leader's work as ministerial midwife of Auckland's "Super City" has borne fruit.

If 2010 is also remembered as the year this city found the cohesion and leadership it needs, we will toast Rodney Hide, transition manager Mark Ford and the mayor elected this year, Len Brown.

Tonight we toast the hopes they offer, with this country's relative good fortune amid continuing international stress, and remember the misfortunes of Christchurch and the tragedy on the West Coast. It has been a gruelling year.