As I continue to ask taxi drivers who they think will win the election, yesterday’s driver replied: “The communists, of course”!
I asked him why it was that he saw so clearly that New Zealand is turning into a socialist country when most of the public is oblivious to the change? He explained that once you have lived under communism, you recognise it anywhere, even when it has been cleverly disguised.
He said that he and his family had moved to New Zealand to escape from a communist regime. They were now devastated to find that our fundamental freedoms are being eroded away and our liberties curtailed, not only without any hint of civil war, but with barely a murmur of protest.
He likened the situation of New Zealanders under Labour’s rule to that of a frog swimming around in a saucepan of warm water: when the heat is gradually turned up, the frog doesn’t understand what’s going on until suddenly he realises, too late, that it’s too hot and he dies. If on the other hand, the frog jumps into a pot of hot water, he immediately realises that it’s too hot and leaps out to survive.
The problem that New Zealanders face is that Labour governments have incrementally turned up the heat of regulation, so that slowly but surely we are marching towards their goal of a socialist state. That means that wealth would be redistributed on a massive scale, the unions are in complete control of the workplace, the welfare state is generously expanded and that the government controls most of the activities of its citizens.
These changes – which are largely in place – have been able to be introduced without massive protest by shrouding them in caring and compassionate-sounding rhetoric. Many of the changes have been imposed under the radar of public awareness, while others are introduced with great fanfare using a few high profile cases to justify the wholesale change of law.
This was the strategy used to justify the regulation of all dog owners: a tragic case of a young girl savaged by dogs was used by Labour to introduce draconian new laws – including, a costly national dog database that will never be able to be kept up to date - which will require all dogs (including those that are as dangerous as a stuffed toy) to be micro chipped at birth. The problem is that the gang members, who have never before registered their dangerous dogs, are not likely to get them micro chipped either. And will the local council dog control officer visit the gang headquarters to enforce the law? Not likely!
This dog law exemplifies the hallmark of socialism, which penalises the law-abiding through punitive, costly and restricted laws. Denying them their freedom, while allowing the law-breakers to walk free.
It’s like the claims made by the government that a handful of fly-by-nighters is sufficient justification for the introduction of the wholesale regulation of the 30,000 strong charitable and voluntary sector; or using the problem of leaky homes - which has effected only a small number of New Zealand homes - to justify the wholesale regulation of the building industry and the abolition of do-it-yourself building; or claiming that the minority of landlords, who charge tenants too much for rental housing, is adequate justification for the introduction of rent controls.
If Labour is re-elected, the writing is already on the wall for the use of home cooking for fundraising or hospitality purposes:
Labour has claimed that there is an unacceptably high incidence of food poisoning from home-made food, and they not only intend to ban sausage-sizzles and cake stalls, but they are even talking about prohibiting the Kiwi ‘taking a plate’ tradition. I say let’s see the facts, let’s examine the evidence and then let’s stop this nonsense in it’s tracks!
Under the increased powers Labour gave local government, people may soon be banned from washing their car in the street, from pruning their trees without resource consent, and they will be required to ask permission from local Maori to do almost anything on their own private property.
Excessively restrictive air and water quality standards means that open fires will soon be a thing of the past in most parts of the country. Many more schools will be forced to close down their swimming pools because they can no longer afford to run them, and rural water supplies may be priced out of reach.
Many other aspects of our Kiwi way are being banned or restricted, from the abolition of Christmas parades and sports races, to school camps and trips, even jungle-gyms, trampolines and the climbing of trees are all under threat. Using the guise of keeping people safe, socialists have set their sights on banning anything that can be seen as being challenging or fun. Without the ability to learn about risk-taking as children, New Zealand adults will no longer be properly equipped to deal with the everyday challenges of life.
While it has been Labour governments that have traditionally pursued socialist agendas, National governments have a track record of not only failing to reverse bad law, but of introducing some real clangers themselves.
The Resource Management Act - appropriately nicknamed the ‘Ransom Management Act’ since it gave rise to legalised blackmail especially by Maori - was introduced by a National government. It is now responsible for the confiscation of private property rights, enormous and costly project delays, an explosion in local body bureaucracy, widespread capture by radical greenies, and the abandonment of progressive projects.
It is time for a major re-think.
The price of Freedom is constant vigilance.
Helen Clark
Born: 1950, Hamilton
Education: Epsom Girls Grammar School; MA (Hons) Auckland University.
Occupations: She was a junior lecturer in political studies in Auckland from 1973-75, studied abroad on a University Grants Committee post-graduate scholarship in 1976, and then lectured in political studies at Auckland from 1977 until her election to Parliament in 1981.
Political career: A member of the Party's New Zealand executive 1978-1988 and again from 1989. She has been the president of the Labour Youth Council, an executive member of the Party's Auckland Regional Council, secretary of the Labour Women's Council and a member of the Policy Council. She has represented the Labour Party at congresses of the Socialist International and the Socialist International Women in 1976, 1978, 1983, and 1986, at an Asia-Pacific Socialist Organisation Conference held in Sydney in 1981, and at the Socialist International Party Leaders' Meeting in Sydney in 1991. In 1986 she was awarded the annual Peace Prize of the Danish Peace Foundation for her work in promoting international peace and disarmament. Elected as MP for Mt Albert 1981; Minister of Conservation 1987-1989; Minister of Housing 1987-1989; Minister of Labour and Minister of Health 1989-1990; Deputy Prime Minister 1989-92 (the first NZ woman to hold position); Minister of Arts and Culture 10 December 1999-15 August 2002; appointed to the Privy Council 1990 (first NZ woman Privy Councillor); Deputy Leader of the Opposition 1990-1993; Leader of the Opposition 1993-1999; Prime Minister since 1999. Helen Clark is also Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, and has responsibility for the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service and Ministerial services. Her areas of interest include social policy and international affairs.
© Copyright; Foundation for Economic Growth and various authors. Individual authors retain their own copyright.
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