by Geoffrey Churchman
This was probably the most important aspect of the Roy Morgan poll from June released last week as consumer confidence has a significant impact on forward planning by businesses — investment in inventory, plant and equipment and staffing.
Having said that, there is a big brake on the economy in the form of severe materials and labour shortages. It’s common to see “now hiring” signs around the region covering a range of occupations, most notably in the food and restaurant sectors, but also services like transport. Yesterday I spoke to a man in Waikanae who needed a lawyer urgently — the first firm he went to (on the main road) told him he would have to wait two weeks! I directed him to try the three other Waikanae firms.
Materials in construction are in short supply, while replacement parts for cars and other vehicles can involve significant waits — not good for passing WoFs or just being able to run at all.
Everyone in Kapiti knows the consequence severe restrictions on foreign labour have had on completion dates for the Transmission Gully and Peka Peka to Otaki freeways.
When will the rest of the World wake up to the awful economic damage that the arbitrary restrictions on movement of products and people are having?
The world wake up? The world does not give a shit about NZ. Most of our population do not give a shit either. 50% are just about smart enough to know which day of the week it is. And we are no worse that the rest of the world, indeed better than most.
Yes the rest of the world doesn’t care about NZ, but they should care about their own economies and abandon their obsession with the China virus.
When The Passionless People – an examination of New Zealand society and its people – was first published in 1976 it was a sensation, selling tens of thousands of copies. Its title became part of the language. More than thirty years on — have New Zealanders changed?
The Passionless People Revisited is Gordon McLauchlan at his most outspoken: “Thirty-five years ago in The Passionless People I called New Zealanders ‘Smiling Zombies’ – the living dead but happy enough about it, even smug. Then, we were still relatively affluent. But now, we are ‘Frowning Zombies’, still the living dead but impotently aware we have been drifting towards social and economic disaster for decades.”
“A major difference between 1976 and now is we have leased our home and are paying rent and homage to outsiders. We have become an economic colony, mainly of Australia.”
McLauchlan covers a broad spectrum of cultural, social and political issues in this witty, insightful and no-holds-barred look at New Zealand today.