Trip confirms our great place in world

Chester Borrows PHOTO/FILE

With elections now looming, and my focus about to become even more centred on the Whanganui electorate and the fairly stringent performance appraisal I will receive, Ella and I took the opportunity to visit our son and daughter-in-law in Canada.

With temperatures in Calgary (Alberta) being below zero, we also took advantage of cheap fares in North America to visit Mexico and the Grand Canyon.

As on previous visits, I have noticed so many of the issues that focus attention in New Zealand grab the attention of others around the world. Changing weather patterns, limited fish catches, environmentally friendly transport and enhancements to save energy, charter schools, indigenous rights, and political rorts all held attention.

North American men have a love affair with big utility vehicles far in excess of requirements, but with petrol at about a dollar a litre and wages quite high, it is to be expected. I was interested and pleased to see General Motors putting heavy promotion into a mid-sized ute (similar to our normal size) and also Ford making an aluminium F150 ute, both in order to save energy. The aluminium truck will be 700kg lighter than the standard steel version currently in production. Whereas many of us differ on the need for exploration of fossil fuels, a least in the interim between finding and making viable the use of alternatives, everybody sees the need to be as parsimonious in the use of them as we can be. As I have said on many occasions, while conservatives almost religiously rant about the importance of the economy, the truth is that in this country we wouldn't have an economy if not for the 54 per cent of GDP contributed by industries dependent on our natural treasures.

If we don't have an environment, we won't have an economy. A lack of respect for our environment will see us Third World in no time. For my part that doesn't shut the door on the exploitation of mineral wealth, it just means we should be careful about extraction and use of those minerals.

Charter schools, or partnership schools as we call them in New Zealand, target groups who are not well served by the state school system and tend to divide educator unionists and politicians, particularly. There are bad examples of all templates for the provision of service and nobody wants to be branded by the failings of others. But it was interesting to see the same arguments raging.

I think most people are pleased to get home from holiday, even when it has been good to get away. As people who have not travelled widely, having spent most of our working lives on lower incomes, it seems a huge privilege to be able to witness other cultures and there is always pride in seeing other nationalities hold us in esteem.

Even in Mexico, there was a bus decorated in The Hobbit pre-release publicity. Lorde, our 16-year-old singing superstar, was being played across Canada and the US, and bookshops in all three countries were selling the Man Booker prize-winning work by young Kiwi author Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries.

We have a great place to call home.