In education government audits will be used to classify schools as deserving or undeserving of government funding, bulk-funded accordingly and their local communities held responsible. The review of the Employment Contract Act and Holidays Act, designed to eliminate the remaining legal rights for workers, is also calculated to appeal to small and medium businesses. Short of complete liberalisation, the government bill will reduce the legal right to their 11 statutory holidays and to annual holidays from three weeks to two weeks. Training rates' are likely to be the justification for raising the age of youth minimum rates to 25. Behind the scenes the familiar pattern of privatisation will continue.
Funding is to move from property owners and transport companies to workers.
Petrol taxes will be increased 64 percent, while road user charges on light vehicles will be increased only 10 to 12 percent and 4 to 5 percent on long distance trucking firms, and rates on property owners to fall 5 to 50 percent. Road management will be corporatised into four or six profit-seeking state corporations who will develop toll systems. Similarly with ACC, massive levy increases on wage earners will undermine public support for the scheme and encourage the demand for access to private insurance, eventually forcing privatisation. These moves will do nothing to change the fundamental weaknesses of the settler capitalist economy. The weakened Asian economies will reduce imports of New Zealand goods over coming years, reducing NZ export earnings and putting further pressure on the balance of payments.