The national day is always something of a performance review. It could be a day of pure celebration if New Zealanders were disposed to do that. But it feels like gloating which is not in the national character. So while we should acknowledge how well the country is doing, economically, socially and, most important, in honouring its founding Treaty, we prefer to talk about how we could do better.
A new government ensures the focus will be on improvement rather than achievement. After five years of sustained economic growth, government over the next few years is going to be focused on those groups who it feels have not kept pace with prosperity.
Parents on low incomes and benefits are going to be given legislated increases in wages and child support. Women will be able to use pay equity mechanisms to try to lift their earnings by comparison with male rates. Employees generally will gain more favourable bargaining laws.
All of this should be able to be done without loss of budget surpluses and economic growth now that the international economy is looking better than it has in the 10 years since the financial crisis.
Until the last year or so New Zealand was one of the few economies to return to growth, making it attractive to migrants and keeping more of its own people at home. In consequence, it has seen a population surge that has created new problems. No longer do we worry about losing our young people to larger and richer countries, now we have to deal with the demands of growth, especially in housing and infrastructure.
