Editorial: We're truly blessed in Godzone

Newspaper anniversaries can be an opportunity for self-congratulation, for recognising past deeds and for emphasising longevity. The Herald, celebrating its 140th birthday today, chooses instead to use this anniversary to sing the praises of New Zealand and its people. We do so because, even at its best, a newspaper can be no more than a reflection of the society it serves.

New Zealand society in 1863 was raw and rebellious. The settlement of Auckland was expanding and the smell of war was as pervasive as the stench from the Ligar canal that ran down Queen St. The colonists' appetite for land had created an underlying urge for military and commercial adventure and raised Maori resentment to boiling point. The tensions did not suggest a secure and relatively prosperous future.

Yet 140 years on we have a nation which, while not perfect, is the envy of many. It is founded on a Treaty rather than rights of conquest. It has a population of increasing ethnic diversity and a reputation for being ready to "give it a go". The imperfections lie mainly in an economy that is too narrowly based, an under-skilled workforce and residual tensions from late-colonial treatment of Maori rights when the Herald was in its infancy. The impact of these issues should not be underestimated but nor should they be allowed to blight New Zealanders' perceptions of themselves.

Collectively we claim an independence of spirit and thought that few similarly small countries might match. Today most are hostage to some degree to the larger states or economies around them. Small nations of Europe with which we might compare ourselves, for example, are increasingly binding themselves to the collective will of the European Union.

We value a natural association with our neighbour across the Tasman but feel under no obligation to fall in behind. We stand in awe of the economic might of the United States but not always of its military adventures. That independent spirit has been ably demonstrated this year in the general public support for the decision to turn down an invitation to join the coalition of the willing in invading Iraq.

At the heart of our independence lies an innate belief in doing the right thing. We are not a country of moralists and ethicists but we seem to know right from wrong. That is probably why we are blessed with public servants, politicians and, most importantly, police who are not corrupt. It is a blessing we take for granted.

Similarly, our population is, for the most part, law abiding. While we may shudder at reports of violent crime we are luckier than many societies. Migrants from South Africa, for example, bring with them horror tales and admissions of armed self-protection that leave the average Kiwi counting another blessing. International crime comparisons are notoriously difficult but the statistics suggest we have lower rates of violence than England, Wales and Canada while differences of definition confuse comparisons with Australia. The fact remains that the average New Zealander sleeps safe at night and moves about his or her daily business with confidence.

We strive to compete internationally. In the sports arena we expect our representatives to foot it in all fields with those from much larger places. In international trade, too, we expect our companies to overcome disadvantages of scale and distance from major markets and turn those characteristics to competitive advantage if they can. They can do it because we are not willing to accept the sort of inferiority complex that might be expected of a country of four million people living about as far south as you can go without getting frostbite. Perhaps we have a collective form of "small man complex" that forces us to be that much better, that much "bigger" than the rest.

We are also free of the oppressive class divisions that so many British settlers came here to escape. We might not be a "classless society" - we have, of course, haves and have-nots - but we hold people in regard for their effort and character rather than birth or accent or conspicuous wealth. Egalitarianism remains the national creed, sometimes to a fault. Tall poppies are suspect; mediocrity can prevail. For all that, New Zealanders are free to fulfil their potential. Australia calls itself "the lucky country". One hundred and forty years from our founding we find New Zealand equally blessed with all the ingredients to make a go of it.