Maxim Institute - real issues - No. 30
Maxim Institute
real issues.
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this week: No. Thirty 22 AUGUST 2002
Contents:
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'RECKLESS PARENTING' - more law or Civil Society?
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION - sitting and standing
CLASH OF THE TITANS - economic heavyweights square off
WHAT IS CIVIL SOCIETY? - No. 3 in the series: The Voluntary Sector
SECONDARY TEACHERS' PAY DISPUTE RESOLVED - but for how long?
ZIMBABWE - a case study in the erosion of civil order
EVIDENCE - WINTER EDITION OUT NOW
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - Judge Mick Brown
'RECKLESS PARENTING' - more law or Civil Society?
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- Four ten-year olds found home alone with blue movies and cannabis, prompted the Commissioner for Children to call for
a new 'reckless parenting' law. This reaction raises the question of who we look to solve societal problems. There are
two stark choices; more law and government, or promoting and strengthening the family unit which is the central
institution of Civil Society.
Of course parents and individuals should be more responsible. For those genuinely negligent parents it is already
illegal to leave kids under 14 at home alone. Either we have a 'policeman in every head or one on every street corner',
but every time we bypass the chance to help the 'policeman in the head' we further erode self-government.
Consider instead the positive campaign by the Tindall Foundation encouraging parents that "the most important thing you
can spend on your kids is time". Every year around the country charitable organisations inspire tens of thousands of
parents with similar messages. They don't threaten them with criminal charges. They encourage them. They help them with
resources. And most of all they give them a dream. While the Commissioner for the Children's concerns are admirable,
rather than using law as a blunt instrument to change behaviour he should perhaps spend his time promoting individual
and community responsibility, and courses that give parents skills. The better way is to reinvigorate Civil Society and
reach for the parenting books rather than the law books.
To see a Holmes interview with Maxim's Greg Fleming on this issue go to: http://www.maxim.org.nz/video.html
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION - sitting and standing
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- It's not where they sit, it's where they stand that matters. Bill English is tenaciously defending National's right to
occupy the front benches (the right of the Opposition under First Past the Post), but Winston Peters is claiming that
the game has changed under MMP and that seats should be allocated proportionately. Former Speaker, Hon Doug Kidd has
suggested calling in the builders to help sort it out.
The debate over seating positions and the media attention actually misses the point. The important thing in the next
session of parliament is that conservative opposition parties clarify what they stand for and offer a critique of Labour
policy based on coherent principles. The New Zealand electorate is historically conservative however the first
principles of conservatism need to be reclaimed and articulated in an attractive manner. Conservatives understand those
things a culture needs to preserve, adapt and discard, and they move cautiously. A Liberal approach - of the sort we
have seen in recent years - has been quick to discard and implement change which is seen as 'progressive'. People will
not be so concerned where the opposition MPs sit, but they will be scrutinising what they say and be looking for clear
principles and alternatives.
CLASH OF THE TITANS - economic heavyweights square off
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- Michael Cullen wants growth but not at the cost of exacerbating inequalities. Don Brash claims if we don't have
growth, then we will have inequality and growth is the best means to deal with it. Cullen thinks this is harking back to
the bad old days of the 1990s. Same goal; different means. So who, if either, is right?
Were the economic policies of the 1990s really a failure anyway? New Zealand achieved 4 percent growth on average from
1991 - 1996. Employment growth during this period was the fastest in the OECD. Throughout the decade average annual
growth was 3 percent. We are still benefiting from those policies today and in fact, economic policy under Labour has
changed very little. Some of the policies such as the electricity reforms for example, were however a disaster. Perhaps
National needs to acknowledge what it got wrong and move on.
A fixation with equality will cause the government to run into trouble in the future. No country has sustained 4 percent
annual growth (which is the least we need) when government takes a third share of the economy. If New Zealand is to get
back to the top half of the OECD, we must cut the size of government expenditure. But what does economic growth do? It
provides more jobs, better health services, and more choice in education. Well that's what it should do, government
permitting.
WHAT IS CIVIL SOCIETY? - No. 3 in the series: The Voluntary Sector
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- We have been talking about the importance of 'mediating institutions'; those strategically positioned between the
state and the individual. These are where we find our family and community relationships and identity. Now we consider
the role of the voluntary sector.
A strong voluntary sector is a sign of an active, viable Civil Society. A weak society, by contrast, is seen as a sign
of alienation, passivity and potential unrest. Former Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Steve Maharey,
says there are 22 500 incorporated societies, 9 000 charitable trusts and an estimated 50 000-60 000 informal community
organisations - volunteering is crucial to our society.
Statistics New Zealand says that New Zealanders 15 years and over spent 536 million hours on unpaid work outside the
home in 1999. The estimated value of this work was just over $5 billion, equivalent to five percent of gross domestic
product (GDP).
Unfortunately, the volunteer sector has begun to suffer a serious decline. For example, Jaycees, once the largest
service organisation, is reduced to 16 clubs throughout the country. Groups from sports clubs to meals on wheels are
struggling to find committed helpers. The Government cannot afford to pick up the lost services, but could encourage
greater community support through such means as improving tax rebates for donations.
For an article on this topic by Maxim writer John McNeil, click on: www.maxim.org.nz/ri/volunteer.html
SECONDARY TEACHERS' PAY DISPUTE RESOLVED - but for how long?
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- The independent arbitration panel recommendation of at least a 6.5 percent increase in base secondary teachers' pay
rates has been accepted by the Government and will likely be endorsed by PPTA members. After sixteen months the outcome
will please parents, students and most teachers - but not all. Pay parity with primary and kindergarten teachers remains
a sticking point.
The panel has recommended there be differentiation and higher pay for secondary teachers with University degrees and
teaching qualifications. This will help address secondary recruitment and retention problems. However it doesn't
acknowledge that some primary teachers do an outstanding job even without comparable qualifications, so the debate looks
set to continue.
The issue is equality. Teachers might have the same qualifications but that doesn't mean results will be the same.
Neither does the resolution of this particular dispute mean future pay claims will be any less acrimonious. Structural
problems in our education system remain and greater flexibility should exist to allow principals to pay teachers what
they are worth. One step forward would be to introduce a decentralised pay structure and allow Board's of Trustees to
pay the best teachers more.
ZIMBABWE - a case study in the erosion of civil order
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- Robert Mugabe's determination to rout white farmers shows no sign of letting up. Commonwealth nations (including New
Zealand) continue to protest but short of armed intervention they are powerless to stop the evictions and bloodshed. The
problems were predictable when Mugabe 'won' the election earlier this year. Observers were unable to guarantee a free
and fair election, and amidst much intimidation and violence, Mugabe clung to power.
It is worth noting that after official independence in 1980 when trade barriers were lifted, there was an upsurge in
manufacturing, agricultural and mineral production. Successful agricultural policies produced massive grain surpluses in
drought-free years, even enabling Zimbabwe to supply food aid to its less fortunate neighbours. But that has all changed
as once again the nation is in the throes of a civil war between Mugabe the champion of 'landless blacks' and the 'white
farmers'. Dreadful atrocities are occurring every day.
This is what happens when the rule of law gives way to tyranny and intimidation. The police and army merge into one and
legal and civil order collapse. One group, or in this case, the will of one individual, constitutes what is lawful. The
lesson is simple: effective and stable democracy must cherish its freedoms and always preserve the mechanisms which
allow their expression. When this doesn't happen, the conditions are rife for the seeds of dictatorship to flourish.
EVIDENCE - WINTER EDITION OUT NOW
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- The second edition of Maxim's quarterly Evidence journal that takes an in-depth look at New Zealand culture and policy
has been released this week. If you are concerned about the breakdown of the family, decline in personal and corporate
values and the erosion of our nation's cultural foundations Evidence is a must read. Annual subscription is a suggested
$30 donation. Copies are available at bookstores around the country, emailing mail@maxim.org.nz or by calling Maxim's
Auckland office (09) 627 3261.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - Judge Mick Brown
- We desperately need in this country to provide the inspiration and leadership to aspire to be a decent society.... in
the end our future as a nation will not, cannot and should not, depend upon [Government] structure, but rather on the
resolve and character of each one of us as a citizen.
Ministerial Review of the CYF Department, 2001
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