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Insights 24: 5 July 2024
Webinar: Driving Change - How Road Pricing can improve our roads
 
NZ Herald: Nick Clark on charting a course for meaningful RMA reform
 
Research Report: The Future of our Universities
The West in crisis
Dr Oliver Hartwich | Executive Director | oliver.hartwich@nzinitiative.org.nz
Recent events across the Western world paint a troubling picture. The unsettling Trump-Biden debate, the rise of populist parties in Europe, and a surge in Euroscepticism all point to a system in distress. Each development forms part of a broader pattern.

Are we witnessing a temporary stumble in Western liberal democracy, or symptoms of a systemic malaise?

History teaches us that great civilisations often appear stable until collapse is imminent. The Roman Empire maintained a façade of strength for centuries before its rapid disintegration. Similarly, the Soviet Union seemed an immovable colossus until its spectacular downfall in 1991.

Today’s West bears disquieting resemblances to these fallen empires. There are multiple signs of decay.

Fault lines of mounting public debt, economic stagnation and a ruling class seemingly detached from citizens’ concerns are all exacerbated by eroding social cohesion. The foundations of Western societies – strong families, civic engagement and a sense of shared values – are crumbling at an alarming rate.

The West’s crisis of confidence manifests across various institutions. Educational establishments prioritise ideological conformity over the pursuit of truth, while much of the media has abandoned factual reporting for activism. The result is a populace ill-equipped to address the complex challenges facing their societies.

These institutional failings have created fertile ground for political upheaval. Populist parties surge across Europe and beyond, capitalising on discontent over issues like migration. Meanwhile, traditional centrist parties struggle to address voters’ concerns.

Alarmingly, our current situation also mirrors aspects of George Orwell’s 1984. From mass surveillance to information manipulation, Western societies exhibit traits Orwell warned against.

In New Zealand the politicisation of the courts is undermining democratic governance, adding yet another layer to this multifaceted crisis. When judges shape policy rather than interpret law, the delicate balance of powers is threatened.

These interlinked challenges paint a stark picture of Western decline. But the crucial question remains: Are these the death throes of a lost civilisation? Or is there a chance of a renaissance of the liberal-democratic order?

We must take the latter to be an article of faith. The West must reconnect with its foundational values: individual liberty, the rule of law and the pursuit of knowledge and truth. It must come to grips with its challenges through open debate and a return to its foundational values.

Our response to this moment will determine whether future historians mark it as a turning point towards renewal or the beginning of a long twilight for Western democracy.
Moving in the Right Direction on RMA Reform
Nick Clark | Senior Research Fellow | nick.clark@nzinitiative.org.nz
Another step towards much-needed reform of New Zealand's resource management laws is underway, in the form of a Bill to restore balance and streamline processes.
 
The Resource Management Act (RMA) and associated regulations have become a serious handbrake on the economy. The primary sector has been impeded by onerous and often impractical regulations. Confidence among farmers and growers has been dire, impacting their prospects and those of the many businesses that buy from and sell to them.
 
The primary sector contributes over 80% of New Zealand's goods exports, so the economic consequences are significant.
 
The Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill begins to address these issues. The National Policy Statement (NPS) for Freshwater Management's hierarchy of obligations puts the environment above all other considerations. The Bill excludes the hierarchy from resource consenting decisions while a review of the NPS is undertaken.

It aligns rules for coal mining with other mineral extraction activities; it delays councils having to identify new Significant Natural Areas on private land; and repeals problematic regulations around stock exclusion on sloped land and intensive winter grazing.  These provide a pause to enable regulations to be made more practical and workable.
 
The Bill also speeds up processes for national direction under the RMA by eliminating a redundant process for boards of inquiry and making it easier to make minor amendments to existing directives.
 
The New Zealand Initiative supports the Bill as part of the second phase of a three-phase reform programme. Phase three will replace the RMA with a new Act “based on the enjoyment of property rights, while ensuring good environmental outcomes”.
 
The Initiative strongly supports this approach for a new resource management system.  It should enable beneficial infrastructure and development projects and allow businesses and individuals to efficiently pursue their activities. We agree it must provide greater respect for property rights while providing for the protection of important environmental values.

It should also embrace economic instruments to better enable trade-offs between environmental, economic and social wellbeing.
 
Like the Fast Track Approvals Bill, this Bill and wider RMA reform are strongly opposed by environmentalists, upset by a shift in the balance towards economic growth and development.
 
But New Zealand has sluggish productivity growth and an economy flirting with recession. Reforming the RMA will reduce delays, costs and red tape. That is crucial for boosting confidence, productivity, competitiveness, and economic growth. 

Nick Clark’s submission, Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, was lodged on 27 June 2024.
Shortland Street to Receive Millions
Max Salmon | Research Fellow | max.salmon@nzinitiative.org.nz
In a groundbreaking move to elevate New Zealand's cultural standing on the world stage, the government has announced plans to subsidise the production of Shortland Street to the tune of millions. The long-running soap opera, known for its focus on extramarital affairs and promotion of D-listers, is now entering the pantheon of Kiwi high culture.
 
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Peter Silversmith, explained the rationale behind this decision: "For too long, we've wasted taxpayer money on foreign, lowbrow endeavours like opera, ballet, and literature. This government is serious about investing in real Kiwi culture. And what could be more quintessentially Kiwi than Shortland Street?"
 
The government's investment comes with value-for-money expectations. Among these will be the relocation of Shortland Street away from its perpetual reruns on nan’s T.V. set and into the classroom. School children will be required to watch at least three episodes per week as part of their curriculum. "It's essential for their cultural education," insisted Education Minister Eric Standfall. "How else will they learn about the intricacies of hospital administration or the correct way to dramatically reveal a secret lovechild?"

In addition, the iconic line "You're not in Guatemala now, Dr Ropata" will replace "God Defend New Zealand" in the national anthem. "It's more representative of our nation's values," the Prime Minister declared. "Plus, it's catchier."
 
The government is also considering replacing traditional diplomatic gifts with signed boxsets of Shortland Street. "Forget about pounamu and Marlborough wines," Foreign Minister Winfred Auldman chuckled. "Nothing says 'Kia Ora' quite like 30 years of melodrama set in a fictional Auckland hospital."
 
Critics have suggested that there may be more pressing issues the government should address, such as the housing crisis and climate change. Coalition leader Davie Saylis, invoking the 'agree to disagree' provision for the second time this week, stated, "This policy is a soap opera in itself. We're writing blank cheques for fictional drama while real New Zealanders face real problems."
 
Undeterred, the coalition is forging ahead, counting on support from Opposition. The Labour Leader (himself a long-time fan of the show) was quoted as saying, “The constant infighting, backstabbing, and arguments really remind me of the job. Shortland’s a home away from home for me.”
 
Meanwhile, the Minister Silversmith claims that the new policy is "completely unrelated" to his binge-watching habits. "The fact that I've seen every episode since 1992 is purely coincidental," he insisted, hastily removing a Chris Warner bobblehead from the lectern.

God defend New Zealand, indeed.
 
On The Record

Initiative Activities: ​
 
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