Bring back Efrem

There are many people who prefer the old ways over the current, with George Bush Sr wanting life to be “more like the Waltons and less like the Simpsons,” and if we look to the past with the TV show The F.B.I., staring Efrem Zimbalist Jr, we see that the FBI were the good guys (the ’60s were sexist and racist on TV) and nobody doubted their character or actions.

Now we see a president describing the past FBI director, James Comey, as a slime ball, and saying that he lied under oath. Although the world of TV often includes fictional components — including the 1998 WrestleMania hosted by Donald Trump — nearly all people in the real world see the FBI and its leadership as honest and unbiased. There have been mistakes and corrupt people, but rarely in the leadership.

We still need to believe in the FBI and the people who protect us. here.”

He said he was foreshadowing the downturn so he wouldn’t get blamed for it when it arrived. But whether he likes it or not, he is to blame — for choosing parties that advocated deeply radical left-wing and spendthrift policies to run the country, instead of the party that most people voted for, with its proven track record of responsible governance.

After only six months, the new government’s policy agenda is now being identified as causing the economy to slow.

Economic forecaster Infometrics has ‘slashed’ its outlook for New Zealand, explaining, “The prediction by Winston Peters of an economic correction or slowdown appears to be coming true.”

They forecast New Zealand’s economic growth slowing to 2.4 per cent per annum by the end of this year, and slipping below 2 per cent during 2019. They also predict that our per capita GDP growth could fall into negative territory.

They say, “A range of factors have combined to drive the slowdown, many of which can be sheeted back to government policy”.

Included in the factors they identify are the dumping of major roading projects in favour of rail and public transport, capacity constraints in the construction sector, and a major slowdown in migration — from 68,900 in the year to March to below 17,000 by early 2021, resulting in more Kiwis heading across the Tasman and fewer New Zealanders coming home.

These sentiments are reflected in a report by the New Zealand Institute for Economic Research, which says, “Business confidence had fallen sharply in the December 2017 quarter in the wake of the new Labour-led government taking office, and this pessimism has carried over into the first quarter of 2018.”

Government policies of major concern to the business sector include changes to employment law and New Zealand First’s minimum wage increase to $20 an hour. Firms are worried that increases in the minimum wage are forcing up costs and constraining their ability to grow, since wage relativity in the workforce is requiring pay increases for other workers as well. As a result, many businesses say they are now investigating labour-saving technology to reduce their reliance on workers.

Is this what New Zealand First really wanted when they promoted their irresponsible $20 an hour minimum wage policy? And don’t they understand what a disastrous impact it’s having on the most vulnerable and unskilled in society, who are finding it increasingly difficult to get a job?

The shock announcement by the Prime Minister that she is banning all future deep sea oil and gas exploration in New Zealand — without any consultation at all with the oil and gas industry — will no doubt undermine business confidence even further.

Unbelievably, this radical policy was not part of Labour’s coalition agreement with the Greens or with New Zealand First, nor was it even part of Labour’s election manifesto. Instead it turns out that Jacinda Ardern has sacrificed the entire oil and gas sector for an extremist election pledge that was made by the Green Party: “The Green Party will not accept applications for new coal mines or deepsea oil and gas exploration and drilling.”

It appears the Prime Minister’s motivation for announcing this Green Party policy as her own — on the eve of her overseas trip — was personal. She wanted to make an impact at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, where, just like at APEC last year, there would be opportunities for her to demonstrate that global warming is her nuclear free moment, and that through her radical climate change action, she’s leading the world. But at what cost? While the Prime Minister justified her ban on oil and gas exploration as being necessary to put New Zealand on the path to achieve the coalition goal of zero emissions by 2050, the Business New Zealand Energy Council says her claims are a nonsense: “There will be no overall reduction in global emissions and potentially an increase in emissions as a result of this ban, as global exploration from places with lower environmental standards fills the gap left by our reduced output.”

At the present time, some 60 per cent of New Zealand’s energy needs come from oil and gas. The oil and gas industry contributes over $2.5 billion to our economy and pays around 42 per cent of all profits to the government in the form of royalties and income tax — some $500 million annually.