Earthquake an Excuse for Statists to Maintain Big Government
Tamaki Independent candidate Stephen Berry is not surprised to see the usual players trot out the usual excuses for
maintaining big Government and fiscal irresponsibility. “Now it seems that the cost of the Christchurch earthquake is
going to be even greater than before; but don’t worry, the Government will cover it. It seems more than coincidental
that whenever the Government covers the costs the costs explode!”
One of the examples the Tamaki candidate cites is the decision to build a temporary Cathedral out of cardboard at a cost
of $4 million. “The idiocy of sentimentality and lunatic religiosity funded by other people’s money is a logical
consequence of big Government disaster management. The irony of replacing a cathedral that was destroyed with a
cathedral that will be destroyed is lost on these insatiable postulating politicians. A study into this icon of waste’s
feasibility alone cost the Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Trust a shaky $50,000.”
Green co-leader Russell Norman calls on the Government to introduce an earthquake tax, which he believes will raise $1
billion. Berry says, “He probably also thinks that taxing earthquakes will mean we get less of them. All an earthquake
tax will achieve is increased pressure on an already fragile economy. The Green party, as usual, has their judgement
clouded by state knows best inanities.”
Mr. Berry believes the Government is no better. “The reason the Labour socialists are flocking to the National
socialists is because National offers the same big Government rubbish as their predecessors. It is plain to see that the
same rubbish approach is having the same rubbish results. Next year’s projected $14 billion deficit now looks set to
become a record $18 billion, with plenty more time for politicians to find new projects that absolutely must be funded
by our taxes.”
“Some political commentators suggest that it is impossible for anyone to offer anything to the voters this election and
maintain any credibility. I strongly disagree. National only demonstrates more and more convincingly the
unsustainability of our current big Government system. I argue that a program of aggressive tax cuts, more aggressive
spending cuts and the privatisation of state assets should simply be accelerated.”
“The current system cannot be maintained. The economy is too fragile to generate extra revenue through taxation. The
impact an extra tax burden will have on growth, productivity and profitability mean it will not generate the income
expected and will likely send more people to the dole queue – further increasing state spending. Fundamental thinking in
what the role of Government ought to be is the only credible option left. I say the Government ought to be a hell of a
lot smaller.”
Stephen Berry accepts that as the state has already assumed responsibility for the current disaster, they should follow
through on that commitment, but reform is needed to ensure future disaster relief is dealt with outside of the
parameters of the state. “I will concede the necessity of borrowing a few billion more to pay for the blowout of
expenses for the Christchurch Earthquake, only because it is not going to be an ongoing cost and because I believe the
people of Christchurch should not be short changed by the ineptness of the current approach. However reforms in the way
we deal with major disasters in future must take place.”
“I will not accept the idea that a disaster is justification for the state taking more of our money, spending more of
our money and maintaining the same level of control over our lives. With sufficient resolve the tax cuts, spending cuts,
privatisations and deregulation of our lives that needs to happen can occur irrelevant of any environmental adversity
individuals may face.”
Ends