Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: Sir Robert Muldoon Dies
From: meachen@med.wcc.govt.nz
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1992 23:40:31 GMT
Reply-To: meachen@med.wcc.govt.nz
Organization: Wellington City Council, Wgtn, NZ

In article <1992Aug11.232220.24910@peponi.wcc.govt.nz>, meachen@med.wcc.govt.nz writes:
>In article <1992Aug12.075038.280@csc.canterbury.ac.nz>, paul@cosc.canterbury.ac.nz (cantva) writes:
>>From article <1992Aug11.014154.12792@peponi.wcc.govt.nz>, by meachen@med.wcc.govt.nz:

>>> However given a choice Muldoon over these two people away, at least
>>> people had a chance of secure jobs and full employment and a standard
>>> of living.
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Red

Appologies for that pressed the Exit key ;-)

Red - followup continued:

Yes there's a lot of things that have changed since Muldoon's
government, ok so he borrowed, but how many other governments
since have done just that. Or the Social Welfare spending our
money on desks costing $1200 when the equivlalent could be 
brought for $300-$600 each, what about the unemployed?

>
>>Second, the reason that we enjoyed a better standard of living under
>>Muldoon is simply because he borrowed huge amounts of money to keep
>>us all in the style we had become accustomed to in the 50s and 60s - the
>>simple "borrow and hope" startegy that is now costing us very dearly.
>>Things like Think Big, SMPs, and the government soaking up unemployment
>>through government departments (how many thousands did Railways used to
>>employ?) spring to mind.
>>

Well answer this would you rather be on the dole or in employment?
New Zealand will never be a self-sufficient country and borrowing is
not such a bad thing, its the way you go about reducing the national
debt. 


>>Perhaps Muldoons biggest crime was the 1975 National Superann policy -
>>an election bribe of enormous proportions.  This scheme was always
>>unsustainable.  It also lead to many in the 60 to 65 age giving up work
>>earlier than they otherwise would have, left people with the expectation
>>that they didn't need to save for retirement, and gave people the
>>unrealistically high expectations that they still have today.
>>

Why should'nt these people be able to retire early, why not the age
50 and why should'nt they live in the style they have worked for all
their working lives. After all if they dont give up work at some 
stage, there will be less jobs for the young people who need a vocation
in life, isnt this obvious?

>>By 1984 things were in bad shape - the wage-price freeze a desparate
>>arttempt to keep things under control.  I have been told that we had
>>just about borrowed as much as we could without the IMF intervening in
>>our economic management.
>>

Wasn't Muldoon in the IMF? The wage-price freeze hasnt had the effect
on this country like the dole cuts and employment contracts bill has.

>>I don't like many of the things that Governments since then have done,
>>but many changes were necessary.  Also, both Governments have had
>>very little room for maneuovre because of the debt left over from
>>the Muldoon era (interest is the second largest budget item?).
>>

Really, I think the last two sucessive governments are into a bit of
overkill, some of the changes were quite unnecessary, attempts to
introduce a class system in New Zealand are culturally and morally
unacceptable and should'nt be allowed to continue. 

>>I wasn't glad to hear that Muldoon had died, but then again I wasn't
>>particularly sad either.  Still, I can't help thinking that if he'd
>>died 20 years ago we _may well_ be a lot better off today.
>>

What kind of attitude is that? Maybe his family and close friends may
object to that, I would. I'll always remember him as the policitian
game enough to take on the role of the narrator in The Rocky Horror
Picture Show.

>>
>>--
>>----- Paul Ashton ----
>>Email: paul@cosc.canterbury.ac.nz
>>NZ Post:        Dept of Computer Science
>>                University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

--
Red