Aim high, New Zealand
Summer is coming and the All Blacks won the Rugby World Cup. The mood is good. But not for everyone and not for some of the most important issues that New Zealand faces. We should bring the same sense of national pride to other aspects of our society. We can be world champions on issues that are even more important than rugby.
New Zealand used to lead the world in fairness and the way we take care of each other. Our pioneering social welfare legislation introduced education and healthcare for all and votes for women. But now there are big gaps in outcomes from our schools. The children who go to schools in lower decile areas of New Zealand get a lower standard of education and have worse health. And women are still paid far less than men. We can do better. New Zealanders have a strong sense of fair play and caring for each other. We could lead the way in tackling inequality and building a society where no one gets left behind.
We used to be known as a tolerant and inclusive society, with a fair immigration system and support for people coming to New Zealand. But we have done little to support refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East, our settlement services are under-funded and migrants face barriers in getting good jobs. We can build a more inclusive society. New Zealanders are naturally welcoming and we gain so much from the contributions of our new citizens from all parts of the world.
New Zealand used to be a world leader in respecting and caring for our environment. But as the latest OECD report shows, we are losing our unique species, polluting our rivers and producing more greenhouse gases as a proportion of income than every other country except Estonia. We are undermining our hugely valuable ‘100% Pure’ reputation. We can live up to our clean green brand. With better government policies, we could lead the world in sustainability.
And we used to be one of the richest economies in the world in terms of income per person. But government policy has rewarded short-term speculation and financial deal-making, at the expense of the productive economy and we have been too reliant on selling commodity products. As a result, we are slipping further down the rankings of OECD countries. We can build a stronger economy. New Zealand has rich natural resources and a strong record of innovation. We can add more value to our commodities and develop the smart economy that will create jobs and opportunities for all.
We need better policies for the future—investment in our people, especially children and those settling in New Zealand, respect for our environment, a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions, and an economic strategy that puts us on track towards a high value, high skill sustainable economy.
With better government leadership, we can again lead the world in areas that are even more important than rugby. As the advertisement says, aim high New Zealand!
Barry Coates is on the Green Party list just outside Parliament. He was formerly the CEO of Oxfam New Zealand.
Summer is coming and the All Blacks won the Rugby World Cup. The mood is good. But not for everyone and not for some of the most important issues that New Zealand faces. We should bring the same sense of national pride to other aspects of our society. We can be world champions on issues that are...
Summer is coming and the All Blacks won the Rugby World Cup. The mood is good. But not for everyone and not for some of the most important issues that New Zealand faces. We should bring the same sense of national pride to other aspects of our society. We can be world champions on issues that are even more important than rugby.
New Zealand used to lead the world in fairness and the way we take care of each other. Our pioneering social welfare legislation introduced education and healthcare for all and votes for women. But now there are big gaps in outcomes from our schools. The children who go to schools in lower decile areas of New Zealand get a lower standard of education and have worse health. And women are still paid far less than men. We can do better. New Zealanders have a strong sense of fair play and caring for each other. We could lead the way in tackling inequality and building a society where no one gets left behind.
We used to be known as a tolerant and inclusive society, with a fair immigration system and support for people coming to New Zealand. But we have done little to support refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East, our settlement services are under-funded and migrants face barriers in getting good jobs. We can build a more inclusive society. New Zealanders are naturally welcoming and we gain so much from the contributions of our new citizens from all parts of the world.
New Zealand used to be a world leader in respecting and caring for our environment. But as the latest OECD report shows, we are losing our unique species, polluting our rivers and producing more greenhouse gases as a proportion of income than every other country except Estonia. We are undermining our hugely valuable ‘100% Pure’ reputation. We can live up to our clean green brand. With better government policies, we could lead the world in sustainability.
And we used to be one of the richest economies in the world in terms of income per person. But government policy has rewarded short-term speculation and financial deal-making, at the expense of the productive economy and we have been too reliant on selling commodity products. As a result, we are slipping further down the rankings of OECD countries. We can build a stronger economy. New Zealand has rich natural resources and a strong record of innovation. We can add more value to our commodities and develop the smart economy that will create jobs and opportunities for all.
We need better policies for the future—investment in our people, especially children and those settling in New Zealand, respect for our environment, a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions, and an economic strategy that puts us on track towards a high value, high skill sustainable economy.
With better government leadership, we can again lead the world in areas that are even more important than rugby. As the advertisement says, aim high New Zealand!
Barry Coates is on the Green Party list just outside Parliament. He was formerly the CEO of Oxfam New Zealand.
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