For some time I have been concerned about my home.
These Shaky Isles are the size of Great Britain with a population of Sydney at the end of the world. No-one is farther from any market than us.
But we all expect to run a first world country in a massive country with a miniscule population.
And yet philosophically our majority believes in small government, low taxes and an open economy.
We can’t afford it.
I see New Zealand like my mum’s house.
She lives in a big house in Remuera. But all she has is the pension. A pauper in a gilded cage.
So we stand at a crossroads if we wish to keep our cage.
Misguided “philanthropists” cost the country 1.7 billion dollars and yet his supporters fail to see his greater disservice to the country.
2 colossal Earthquakes take a city out and yet many in other cities think it’s business as usual.
An insurance company fails and the government that asks less from it’s people borrows more to save it.
We live during the most damaging financial slowdown in living history and a lifestyle built on debt. Debt based on the sands that are our houses and yet tax cuts are gratefully received.
It’s time to get real.
I believe in capitalism. I believe in competition. I believe in personal responsibility. I also believe in collective responsibility and community.
It is time to be personally responsible to save our capitalism, competition and lifestyle. It’s also time to collectively band together to save our people and our weak.
It’s time for a real third way. But all we have is the language of polar opposites. So here’s a start.
If the government were to come to me today and ask for more of my income to see us through I would say, “Yes!”.
I would say yes if the government promises to shelve idealogy and house the homeless, fix the cities and clear the debt.
Deal to student debt, deal to regional debt, deal to national debt.
And then having fixed our fundamental systematic mistakes over the past 30 years find a more realistic way of existing.
And the people have to take off their “Am I better off?” blinkers and ask themselves, “Are we better off?”.
Right now the Government and the People have to work together. The People have to take off the default “government hate” mode and the Government has to become something we can trust with our futures.
I have not heard anyone come up with a model that suits our unique circumstances in my entire adult life.
All I’ve heard is hollow men chant shallow mantras from the left and the right.
I’ve been saying to all that listen that 2011 is the time for a real leader to come. I just ain’t seeing one yet.
