Cotteril on Labour’s problems

Bruce Cotteril writes:

The last Labour Government was more radical than others. Their policies around water management, health, education, and crime were more extreme than we had seen before and as a result, drew criticism from many. Their approach to issues of race was difficult to fathom. The ability of many of their ministers to execute policy was shown to be inadequate and sometimes incompetent. Their spectacular failures around housing, mental health and child poverty will not be easily forgotten. Their financial mismanagement was such that some four months after their departure, the fiscal surprises are still being unearthed.

Extreme and incompetent! What a mixture.

This week we’ve learned about the extent of property projects languishing in the education system. Projects unfunded and now, I suspect, unaffordable. But they were projects that, in many cases, had been promised to the schools and the communities they serve. Stanford is already across the problem. We need “standardised, repeatable buildings” she said. Hallelujah. Since when did school buildings need to be contestants in the annual architecture awards anyway?

The state of New Zealand is a sad reflection of the past six years. There is a massive job to do in turning this country around. The new Government has made big promises. And in the current landscape they are challenging to deliver on. It’s hard to get excited about unravelling the past. I’m guessing that we have to do that to create a platform from which to deliver a desirable future. It’s that future we should be interested in. And a vision that tells us where we want to go and how we can help to turn the ship around and get there.

This is right. The Government needs to quickly reverse and repeal Labour’s failed policies, so it can then focus on its own policies and agenda going forward.