“The bedrock of any successful democracy is that it delivers government of the people, by the people, for the people. In the case of our current government, and too many other western democracies, this once abiding principle has been subverted. We now have government of the people, by the government, for the government.”
– Sir Roger Douglas 2023
How on earth has a fiercely independent nation like New Zealand, with its number eight fencing wire heritage and strong pioneering spirit, reached a point where The Government is doing almost everything for us – including feeding our children?
The answer is simple. Because we, the people, let them!
The reality is that politicians will do almost anything to make themselves more relevant to voters. It’s the nature of politics for politicians to do more, not less.
All parties in our Parliament have gravitated towards the mantra that Government is the answer to our problems in order to remain important to voters – and to advance their political careers!
Even the ACT Party, which was founded on the principles of personal responsibility, has moved to the left. It now occupies the ground the National Party traditionally held, as they too have moved left in pursuit of those swing voters who used to occupy the centre.
This seismic shift towards greater state intervention and socialist control can be largely attributed to our former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Her heavy-handed approach, especially when directing The Government to step into our lives during Covid, took away New Zealanders’ most basic rights and freedoms, and has left the country under a shroud of State oppression.
As a result, it’s now taken for granted that “The Government” will educate our children; provide healthcare, welfare, and a pension; a house for those who need one; family support for those with children; a Police force to keep us safe – and even free lunches for our kids.
The problem is, they do none of these things well.
Where New Zealand was once a world leader in education, the latest Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study ranks Kiwi students last amongst all English-speaking countries and 24th out of 26 OECD nations. It’s a similar story in maths and science. Add to that record low school attendance and a curriculum that focusses on culture instead of knowledge, and it’s clear that Government-run education no longer guarantees children a good future.
New Zealand used to be a nation of home owners, but that has fallen from 78 percent in the 1980s, to around 55 percent today. As a result of the declining affordability of housing – especially over the last few years – only 38 percent of people between the ages of 55 and 64 are now mortgage free. For those of retirement age, around 28 percent are either still paying off a mortgage or are renting.
When it comes to health, in spite of Labour’s claims that the health reforms would clear the hospital waiting lists, the situation is worse. Not only did the number of New Zealanders waiting longer than the target 4 months for treatment or a first specialist appointment increase by more than 30 percent in 2022 – to reach over 75,000 by December – the chronic shortage of nurses, doctors and specialists has become a crisis.
Then there’s welfare. At 211,617, the number of children reliant on a benefit has now risen to its highest level since Labour took office in 2017. The majority of these children are supported by single mothers on Sole Parent benefits. In spite of a critical shortage of workers, these benefit numbers have been allowed to escalate over 22 percent, even though the danger to children of long-term welfare dependency – including a greater risk of child abuse and neglect, truancy, and youth crime – is well documented.
Thanks largely to Labour’s misguided goal of reducing the prison population by 30 percent, crime is now running out of control, reaching the point where New Zealanders no longer feel safe in their own homes.
On top of all this, Labour’s odious decision to segregate New Zealanders by race for essential public services like health, has created a deeply divided society.
With such a dismal record of failure, it’s hard to fathom how anyone can have any faith that Governments are the answer to our problems.
As President Ronald Reagan warned in 1982: “There is a threat posed to human freedom by the enormous power of the modern state. History teaches the danger of governments that overreach – political control taking precedence over free economic growth, mindless bureaucracy, all combining to stifle individual excellence and personal freedom.”
This view, brilliantly encapsulated in the former President’s famous expression “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help” – conveys the fundamental truth that Governments are not the solution to problems, they are the cause.
So why is it that New Zealanders are so accepting of big government when the evidence of failure is all around?
The answer, of course, is a lack of leadership and vision.
Where are the leaders advocating an alternative approach that prioritises personal liberty?
Where is New Zealand’s Milton Friedman – the Nobel Prize winning economist who used his book Free to Choose to highlight that the greatest gift political leaders can give to their people is the freedom to improve their lives: “A truly free society is one that releases the energies and creativity and abilities of everyone. It prevents some people from arbitrarily suppressing others. Freedom means diversity but also mobility. It enables today’s disadvantaged to become tomorrow’s privileged, and, in the process, enables everyone from top to bottom, to enjoy a fuller and richer life.”
One New Zealander, who has been dedicated to improving the lives of the disadvantaged – so they too can enjoy a prosperous future – is former Labour Finance Minister and ACT Party founder, Sir Roger Douglas.
Coming from a family of union leaders and Labour Party MPs, Sir Roger was always destined for Labour Party politics.
With a firm belief that ‘privilege’ has no place in public policy, he held the view that there had to be a better way to ensure that all New Zealanders have the opportunity to live a decent life.
When working as an accountant for Bremworth Carpets he wondered why everyone couldn’t enjoy the sort of personalised pension scheme the company provided for employees.
Singapore, of course, established such a scheme in 1955. The Central Provident Fund, which required employees and employers to contribute into individual accounts, provided a pension annuity on retirement, health insurance, and funds for home ownership. Due to the power of compound interest, Singapore has been transformed from a third world backwater with few natural resources into one of the most prosperous nations on earth.
As an Opposition Labour MP, in 1972 Roger Douglas drafted a private member’s bill to create a similar contributory scheme for New Zealand. This formed the basis of the New Zealand Superannuation Act, which was passed into law by Norman Kirk’s Labour Government in 1974. The scheme required employees to contribute 4 percent of their wages into their own super account, which was then matched by their employer.
In 2014 Infometrics estimated that had the scheme not been axed by Prime Minister Robert Muldoon in 1977, it would have been worth almost $300 billion, which at that time was equivalent to more than the combined value of the New Zealand Super Fund, Kiwisaver, and the New Zealand Stock Exchange!
In 1987, Roger Douglas proposed a flat tax for New Zealand of 23 percent, along with a Guaranteed Minimum Family Income for low-income families, but then Prime Minister David Lange pulled the plug and the scheme never saw the light of day.
These days, Sir Roger believes the solution to the problems New Zealanders face, is not more government regulation and intervention, but a transfer of political power back to individuals who know what’s best for themselves and their families.
He points out that New Zealanders pay tax into a system to fulfil our half of a social contract, which guarantees the State will look after us when we are sick and will provide a living income when we retire.
While we have kept our part of the bargain, the State hasn’t. If you are sick these days, there is no guarantee you will get the medical treatment you need. And if you are young, there is now no guarantee there will be a pension for you in old age.
Sir Roger Douglas is this week’s NZCPR Guest Commentator with a groundbreaking paper that sets out a visionary path for New Zealand that addresses the stark and uncomfortable reality that if we carry on as we are, according to Treasury, we will be bankrupt within 40 years:
“Treasury’s recent Long Term Fiscal Projections for the period 2021-2061 highlight how far our country has descended into the economic and social mire, and why the very future of our democratic systems might even be under threat.
“Unfortunately, this and last year’s budgets were not only devoid of courage but also of imagination. Why is a lack of imagination so important?
“Because imagination serves as the starting point for change and because, in falling back on the old trope that bigger government equals better government, the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance have manifestly demonstrated that they lack the courage to do what is right and so obviously necessary for New Zealand if we are to prosper and grow over the next 10 to 50 years. Instead, they elected to walk a soft and easy path – one walked by too many governments before them – and which they believe will help them successfully navigate the next election. They have decided to tax and borrow, spend and hope.
“Unfortunately, when our current government looks to the future, it envisages a larger state, higher taxes, government ownership and delivery of social services and even greater opportunity for it and its army of bureaucrats to meddle with our lives. In the process it has given up on fiscal prudence and sentenced New Zealand to low productivity growth.”
Sir Roger believes the only way to solve the huge problems we face is for the public to be empowered to direct a proportion of the money they usually pay in taxes – topped up by the government where necessary – into their own savings accounts.
“By doing this, we can shift power away from a system of government which is becoming more and more wasteful and self-serving and deliver it instead to individuals and families. This, surely, is the purpose of our democracy. It is meant to deliver government of the people by the people for the people, not government of the people by the government for the government.”
Sir Roger explains that if we were bold enough to introduce such a savings-based system every New Zealander could look forward to having a personal saving scheme with at least a 5 million dollars on retirement.
There would be an associated all-of-life catastrophic healthcare insurance policy plus an annual healthcare account to pay for small medical expenses. An income protection saving fund would cover unemployment, sickness, and accidents.
Furthermore, such a fund would provide the opportunity for home ownership for everyone who works, an ability to send children to a school of choice, along with the lowest personal and corporate tax rates in the world – with a top rate of just 10 percent by 2048.
Such a scheme would provide a real solution to poverty, disadvantage, and inequality.
Despite the potential of Sir Roger’s proposal, and the abject failings of the status quo, left wing parties and vested interest groups have expended a great deal of energy over the years discrediting any suggestions that challenge their socialist ideology and the dependency culture it creates.
That leaves parties to the centre and right of politics – will they seriously consider this big idea as a way to create a better future for New Zealand?
For the sake of all New Zealanders, we hope so.
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THIS WEEK’S POLL ASKS:
*Do you believe there is too much State interference in the lives of New Zealanders?
*Poll comments are posted below.
*All NZCPR poll results can be seen in the Archive.
THIS WEEK’S POLL COMMENTS
| Yes it takes our tax’s so thats were it all starts. The state as we currently know it ie, this government has for the most part, been made up with the village idiot from a number of electorates around the country, who were aided by Winston Peters It is obvious that minsters of various portfolios were controlled by the public servants Because in reality they, the ministers for the most part were/are inept. And at the top of the pile is Hipkins The interference starts with the gross mismanagement of the economy, that mismanagement interferes in the lives of all New Zealanders. Giving preference to race interferes with the life of all New Zealanders. Its not that there isn’t need. It is agreed there is need but that need is spread across all levels of society. The state pandering to Maori, three waters, and climate change agendas, all have a drastic interference in the lives of New Zealanders New Zealanders Need to treat the Labour Party, Iike they all have mycoplasma Boris | Bruce |
| Our lives are to easy, hard times are needed again, just to remind us. | Sven |
| Growing government interference is an obvious symptom of the expansion of expansion of extreme socialism | Frank |
| Absolutely – way too much and restrictive on our normal lives, especially farming. | Laura |
| every thing we do to-day the government interferes | Tony |
| absolutely | Carolyn |
| We have to end the WEF,UN TC.WHO control of our country!!! We must do this in the coming election..,!! DO NOT VOTE FOR ANY OF THE MAIN 3 PARTIES!!! | David |
| Leave us alone to get on with our business; and focus on infrastructure to support our endevours. | Glyn |
| Way too much -over reach on so many things | Paula |
| We are heading toward totalitarianism | Jacquu |
| The thing I notice about Sir Roger Douglas’s written ideas is he never writes about the Maori situation in NZ even though a lot of the revised TOW happened when he was in power. Labour is a different beast now, unrecognisable from the 1980’s; now people like Dam Ardern take their orders from WEF & UN. Labour, Greens, Maori party hate New Zealand from what they have done to NZ in the last 6 years. Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky was Ardern’s style and what a wonderful job she did stuffing up our country. Spoke to a South African woman living here now. They watched what happened there to come here to see the same thing happening here. Far left Labour have no interest in good ideas to save New Zealand because they want to destroy it. | Monica |
| Don’t make rules for a few with problems, that will affect all of us. Ef fluoride everyone’s drinking water because some kids don’t brush their teeth | Martin |
| Absolutely… | Robyn |
| Labour want to control every aspect of our lives including shower time and electricity usage. It’s called communism. A shared control between radical Maori and Labour. | Kevin |
| I wait with much interest to see the back end of this Liebour Govt, so I hope & pray that many of the existing Liebour MP’s get voted out during 2023 Elections. | Bruce |
| Certainly is. The State has slowly been taking over more of our personal responsibilities and it has accelerated since Labour took over in 2017 as well as dividing our Nation by race. Agree totally with Roger Douglas. When are we going to be able to think for ourselves again and have an opinion contrary to the government without being labeled a stirrer or racist? | Keith |
| There has been far too much regulation inserted into our laws, partly because each party, particularly during the election period they are all to proud and try to out do the other. At the end of the day segments of the people suffer. This can also be seen when parliament is sitting, creating a toxic way of running a country. We need to change how we manage New Zealand’s whole political way. | Owen |
| Trust us. We do know what to do | Beverley |
| Definitely | Diana |
| 100% | Jo-Amy |
| YES!!!! | Murray |
| This is like a Dictator State now | Rod |
| Too many staff | Leigh |
| Far too much is mandated. Remember a state house of the 1950s and 60s. They were a bare minimum.. The owner did the rest!!!Now they get everything!!!And want more | Peter |
| Without question! | Vic |
| Thanks to Labour, Greens and Te Pati Maori | Peter |
| As A Nation we are severely overtaxed so that created wealth can be redistributed to a non producing sub class. This class is not the deserving aged or handicapped or infirm, this class is those that do not work and a small cluster of ethic entitle who have no wish to work. We need to lower taxes leave money in the hands of producers, re-balance and adequately fund entitled aged and infirm, cut off handouts to ethnic claimants, a put a time limit and knife to non producing welfare bludgers Ax co-governance. | Richard |
| The people are hamstrunged By too many rules and regulations. Especially farmers. | Mary |
| Helen Clarks agenda was to create a weak fearful society increasingly dependent on the feeding hand of socialism.(NZ Labour Party). She has been described as a “biblical” socialist, believing in class warfare and she was/is Jacinda Ardern’s mentor. | Martin |
| Very Good Article, lets hope election time our new Politician’s take heed. | Ann |
| cindys gun control is a classic example of attacking the legal gun owners whilst the criminals thrive | Rick |
| too right | Wiremu |
| In answer to this weeks NZCPR article; there ARE no center-right parties in the coming election. | Matt |
| All I want the Government to do is deliver the mail defend the shores and get the hell out of my life. | Grant |
| Too much control is coming from the UN. | Angela |
| Nanny State does not know best. | Ronmac |
| ripping off hardworking taxpayers | jeff |
| Hell yes! | Teresa |
| Smaller government and lower taxes!! | ken |
| Sick of being treated like irresponsible children! | Sylvia |
| One has only to look at the lockdowns to answer this question in the affirmative. | Ronnie |
| Way to much interference and way too much change for the sake of change | David |
| The level of bureaucracy is now extraordinary and its cost. | Tony |
| All the Labour government can think of is tax, tax, tax instead of looking for ways to grow the economy. Pity Roger Douglas is still not in politics with his great vision | Lawrie |
| When we look at who is “in control” of our country, the first thing to understand is that it isn’t the Government!! They ads simply doing the bidding of the “globalist masters” or whatever name you wish to give them. “Those who remain in the shadows”. “The criminal bankers of the world”. “The unelected, WEF, WHO UN, etc. These are the string pullers who get to decide whether we, the debt slaves of the world, get to live or die! Right now, the latter is under way. So, state interference? I am sorry Murielle, but the wrong question is being asked here. Remaining to look inwardly at our (corrupted) government will only bring the same questions for the same old, same old. You will notice how the “govt” takes absolutely nl notice of what the “debt slaves” of the country say. The whole system is broken and we need a “change” to eject the interference in our lives. Total Local council control with our own infrastructure. | Neil |
| Absolutely, it’s everywhere! | Brent |
| Yes | Neil |
| stop it | Nichael |
| this government has been out of control and abusing its democratic powers for along time. It wants to make us all dependent on it. We’re one step away from communism and worse Maori control/dictatorship. | Graeme |
| As Ann Rand, stated, The essential characteristic of socialism is the denial of individual property rights… Welcome to the Social Utopia of Aotearoa ! | John |
| Get the government out of my life | John |
| It has become blatantly obvious the sole purpose of Government is to dumb our population down. This is the pathway to their goal to control. | Leeanne |
| We have become too dependant on Govt, allowed them to Lord over us, making bad decisions and we have given up on protecting our rights. | Christine |
| In every aspect of life | Alison |
| Absolutely, never have we seen in our recent history where this Labour government has implemented so many pieces of legislation in such a short period of time. | Lawrie |
| Too many free loaders wanting everything for nothing. When 50% rely on hand outs, govt has won and those paying leave NZ. Result, a dead society. | Andrew |
| To coin a phrase you can’t help people permanently by doing for them what they should be doing for themselves. I just want to enjoy creating my own destiny rather than have some government deciding it for me. Get out of my space. | Mike |
| Too many bureaucrats with too little to do except dream up unworkable schemes. Unfortunately our current government does not have sufficient nous to understand the ramifications of their agendas | Peter |
| This Labour Govt has been influenced by that Marksist Scwab and the WEF movement | Rhys |
| I object to the amount of Government intervention. They need to step back and let us get on with “it”. | Gavin |
| Absolutely too much interference and control. Well said, Sir Roger! | Peter |
| I do not want to live in a commune. | Mark |
| Power to the rich and famous’s is not good. Sack them all. | Gary |
| It is a conspiracy to take complete control of all New Zealander’s daily lives. COMMUNISM. | Denis |
| Not only is there too much Government in my life, I am finding that BUMBLING BUREAUCRACY SYNDROME is rife throughout the system. | Alec |
| Definitely! New Zealand is said to be the second leased corrupt country in the world. The rest of the world must be in a parlous state! Both Labour and National are past their use-by dates, otherwise we just continue to row the “waka” backwards and forwards across the moat. New Zealand is a democracy in name only! | Kevan |
| What I don’t understand is why our politicians, all of each party, and the complicit media, are so hellbent on taking us into communism. Don’t they realise that we are all in the same boat and what happens to the population, will also happen to them. You will own nothing and be happy, in your tiny apartment and 15 minute city, and with digital currency there will be no cash, you will be watched and censored if you buy too much, fill your car (if we are allowed cars)and you will eat bugs and artificial food and like it. Luxon is right into cooperating with the globalists, as is Seymour. The whole lot need to be taken out of the wasps nest in Welly and dealt to. Don’t start me on global warming, it’s another huge lie,; as was covid that idiots (including some of my family) fell for even after we warned them to steer clear of the poison injections. Give us back our 1960s country. | Carolyn |
| Government interference or overreach in business or public lives never ends well. It’s generally destructive rather than helpful. | John |
| every government and local government department have far too many power hungry non productive employees who then employ so called advisers who are mostly a bunch of parasites who live on the ignorance of the so called ministers/ceo/leader of these departments. they need to go asap as they have bankrupted this country for the ordinary people while filling their wallets. | Richard |
| Our bloated government of morons is unfit, unhealthy and mean. A diabolical train wreck of lunacy in the extreme. | Richard |
| Don’t forget Sir Roger sent farming into depression and went broke himself with his pig farm.Is he correct Now??? | Geoffrey |
| TOTALITARIAN SOCIETY IS WHAT WE ARE LIVING IN – ?????????? | SHERYL |
| yes by a long shot, do this do that do this do the other, why are we listening to these looney comrade red feds,and the firebug greenies, or the peanut brownies. | james |
| The function of the Government is to provide the best possible foundation platform for us to choose our personal life goals and ambitions Why abdicate that to a Government when you only have one life! | David |
| NZ is top heavy with civil servants. When the country is broke. Don’t worry Communist China will rescue us. In return they will take control of our country. I am sure that is the plan.. | chris |
| Yes there is no freedom , NZ is now a dictatorial state governed by a elite of Maori aristocracy and Labour Party lackeys | Ashwin |
| Dictatorship | mike |
| Animal Farm has risen again | Andrew |
| our problem is we are becoming a socialist country. not a capitalist one | noel |
| Way, way too much | Kerin |
| Once New Zealanders took great pride in working, and providing for our families. Accepted a welfare system was a short term aid to help you survive the tough times, not a life style where huge numbers receiving benefits felt they should live like the hard working people who’s hard work provides their benefit. People need to priorities and work as a community. | Rita |
| And we blindly/stupidly let them! | David |
| Definitely | Dot |
| We definitely need a change for the better with democracy front and centre. | Michael |
| Not only State interference but local body “interference”. Aucklanders who “own” their land have effectively become “TENANTS ON THEIR OWN LAND”. RATES ARE not only A TAX ,but a tax on taxed income! | charles |
| Fed up with the govt giving taxpayers money to Maori for settlements! As well as money for their cultural ideaology also the Maori greeting for all visiting dignitaries from other countries. I feel the male Maori prancing around with the bare bum facing mixed company is not only rude but an insult to other cultures, we are told to respect their culture and ideaology that should be a two way respect as they are not the first people of New Zealand. Look how they are trying to re write the the treaty. The sooner labour is gone the better.NO MORE TREATY PAYOUTS no money for hospitals and roading etc but borrowing money for more Maori for supposedly treaty settlements! | Dianne |
| All this government wants is to completely control every aspect of our lives and to continue taking away our ability to make our own choices. | Russell |
| Most definitely. Get rid of divisive laws – keep government out of our day to day lives. | Clive |
| There always has been and it is worse than ever | Mark |
| There is overwhelming interference by politicians and bureaucrats and we are swiftly descending back to the nanny State. This continual meddling destroys any incentive for personal responsibility. Freedom is vital and the current situation does not bode well for the nation. The treaty gravy train is creating a victim mentality, and other handouts are leading to a dependency on the State. Most parties, with the exception of Act, seem to want people this reliance %u2013 it is almost cargo cult territory. This can end only badly, with the country spiralling into chaos and division. | Gavin |
| Far too much. | Bruce |
| Frighteningly | Gordon |
| The state control since Labour had been in power is out of control. They have know idea how to run the country. I could rant here for hours but to answer the question is yes | Allan |
| Totally! | peter |
| It is getting worse and worse | Richard |
| Absolutely!!! | Errol |
| It has been a covert creeping Cancer now for years this Government Control and now on Steroids. It must stop now or we are all Automintons !! | Geoff |
| absolutely | |
| Under Ardern and Labour with an absolute majority, NZ has become a Communist state in all but name. | Peter |
| What else can you expect with a Socialist Government? | Graeme |
| Most definitely. How right Sir Roger (& Ronald Reagan) is.there is a much better long term way!! Look at Singapore, Once aColumbo Pan r3cipient!! | John |
| Let people have a greater choice in their own strategies | Norm |
| Yes totally and also the same for local councils and for regional councils too. There is far too much bureaucracy which holds up progress getting the country running smoothly | Logan |
| We need to get back to basics | Terry |
| We do not live in a democracy. PERIOD!!! | Alan |
| Labour wants to control our lives and dictate who gets what They are bad news Socialism no thanks | leo |
| Sir Roger Douglas is a wise man, how do we make this happen? | Di |
| laissez-faire | Val |
| We must fight against growing state control over our lives and the country. | Brian |
| The Labour Government is deliberately investing money into businesses and then using threats of Maorifying everything. | Cheryl |
| Why have N.Zers become so lazy they can’t or won’t see what is happening. Need a big shake up. Sheeples. | dona |
| Several studies have shown that the optimal level of Govt. expenditure to maximize economic growth should be between 25 and 30% of GDP. Beyond 30% marginal value productivity in the economy begins to decline. I’d suggest that for NZ the maximum level of central Govt. expenditure should not exceed 25% of GDP and for local Govt. 8% (33% max in total). There is a large opportunity cost from wasted Govt. expenditure in NZ. The size of Govt. should be reduced. | Ralph |
| They are continuing Comrade Ardern’s philosophy!! They have to GO | Ron |
| Marxism at its worse. Of course, when someone gets a “free” lunch, everyone wants to join in. Time government made families responsible for their own offspring and not the taxpayers responsibility. | Neville |
| Self reliance and personal responsibility has been taken from us by successive socialist governments and we need to claim it back. | Rob |
| Government will soon be controlling all of us, no free speech, health problems, segregation of new zealanders, pakeha, maori and others, what will be left for us. | Pam |
| Absolutely. We once were a country of vision and prospered. We once were regarded by the rest of the world how a small country could show the world how government and its citizens could work together to make us all proud to be a NZer. | Robina |
| Especially private / public partnerships with Big Pharma making a mockery of our health system. | Helen |
| Far. far too much. Of course, a large number of people are just ignoring that interference, but I’m not really sure that is good idea. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater. | Paloma |
| labour Government means the nanny knows best approach. unbelievable that this bunch still have a support base . Unfortunately the ministerial train wrecks were all easily predictable to anybody who cared to look beyond the woke bollocks approach of this bunch of losers. | ken |
| it just keeps getting worse | barry |
| more government, less responsibility and less wealth. Poor unhappy nation.Seeding for revolution. | Henk |
| There are far to many uncivil servants who do nothing but cost and waste money | Shaun |
| The government works for itself not for the people. The government achieves results by mandates and controls rather than reason and common sense. | Diana |
| Useless labour barstard | Allan |
| There is far too much state control over our lives now. Sadly, only a seismic shift in our political systems will be enough to correct this, and such a change is not yet visible, even on the far horizon. | TOBY |
| Governments of late have taken away the opportunities. of the individual to chart their own course through life. Why are children lagging behind the rest of the world in learning. Why can’t people receive the medical treatment that was once available. As the article said, The Government has taken away our abilities to chart our own lives. | Dennis |
| Yes to the question. But is there interference or is there help? Do the left mediocre ideolog types just keep on throwing huge amounts of public money at the problems of welfare. Don’t they think that they should go further to be coming up with programmes to help those on the deep beneficiary level who want help, to work toward becoming self-sufficient. If the Government sought after sensible ideas from the public rather than just from their own enclosed single ideolog group then they maybe surprised at the amount of wisdom that is available from the larger group called – the public. After all, you hear all their clatter about collaboration and co-operation but in practice they certainly give the impression that they are not in it for us but are definitely in it for themselves. | Garry. |
| aBsolutely | Murray |
| Most definitely they do | eric |
| No question. | Caren |
| Hell yeh! | john |
| Far too much taking away personal responsibility | James |
| we are all puppets this maxis govt are pulling the string. | Barry and Val |
| There is little chance of public opinion being the driver of change. | Roger |
| State intervention means excess waste. | Richard |
| YES, but don’t worry people we are all going to do our part to make it better by getting rid of the freedom haters in October. | COLIN |
| Success now leads to being a target for govt (even having the IRD label you publicly in the higher tax percentile) | Geoff |
| absolutely yes, from kindergarten to the grave | john |
| At every turn govt and Maori radicals have the final say. We are a rudderless ship going in circles. Wake the fake up NZ all this lot must be made redundant in October. Be very careful who you vote for. NZs future or no future depends on it. | Allan |
| Yes.It has become control – preventing the people from thinking for themselves. They are simply told what to do, but the Govt does not accept responsibility for being wrong. | Harvey |
| Labour has increased the size of government and its power by more than 30% and believes that everything can only be run by the bureaucrats in Wellington. They plan to take away our freedom of speech, freedom of choice and cancel us when we object. | Kerry |
| When it keeps increasing every week then it has to be too much. Where will it end ? | Andrew |
| Has been for too long and let’s face it a large number of our members of parliament have no experience and are dumb . Cut the numbers and have a smaller band of more intelligent members | Tom |
| Isn’t it what communism is all about. It must stop. | Graham |
| The government of New Zealand is elected to govern not control; this government has failed in its job. Get rid of list MPs and return to first past the post. | Ken |
| This government is sending our country into a very dark place ! | Craig |
| It is out of control. | Allan |
| 2 Much Govt interference! | John |
| They are running the country to the tune of the Maori. | Murray |
| Absolutely | Valda |
| They are A Pain in The Butt ### Let me make our OWN decisions | Bill |
| Just regulation after regulation ! | Pierre |
| Yes. This country is stuffed! Think before you vote at the forthcoming election. God Defend New Zealand from the enemy within. | Bruce |
| Yes, absolutely. | gale |
| Let us live our own lives. Give Media back their right and obligation to publish the TRUTH | Colin |
| absolutely and getting worse, quickly! | Giles |
| Yes we are pawns in their big game and we have no say any more | Russell |
| We have allowed it and we need guidance to direct us how to remedy this. | Doris |
| Our present government has massively interfered in our lives and continues to do so – from covid lockdowns and vaccine mandates, to attempting to change the very language we speak and the names of our country and cities, and to the current censorship bid that approaches controlling our very thoughts. The nudge unit is totally out of control. Our govt has been more like a Sherman tank rolling all over our lives. | Wendy |
| Interference PLUS manipulation, patronising, anti-democracy etc,etc | Bob |
| Great idea if it works | Heather |
| I fear it will get far worse if there isn’t a change in government this year. | Barbara |
| I’ve just been in Singapore & the roads & streets were so clean &100% excellent we should copy what Sir Douglas said-to do this we MUST MAKE IT VERY CLEAR TO BOTH ACT 7 NATIONAL OUR STERN WANTS.We MUST have a referendum that LIMITS a government power so the people can vote for any policy that the gov. has OVER55% dont want to go ahead,otherwise we,ll get another Jacinda or more involvement of maori & it MUST BE VERY MADE PLAIN WE ARE ALL EQUAL 7 THE REAL TREATY MADE CLEAR TO ALL NZEALANDERS. | Cindy |
| To many rely on the govern to help them. It’s a nanny state. I believe Labour have made this worse. That’s how they start to gain control of the population by dumbing us all down and giving us a false sense of security. I have no idea of what the answers are. | Vanessa |
| Absolutely more dependence equals more control over our lives and enables manipulation by the wrong parties. | steve |
| Under MMP the Maori seats are no longer required. They should have been scrapped when we went to MMP. It’s also racist policy that people with some sort of Maori ancestry can swap electoral rolls when no-one else is allowed to do so. | Laurence |
| There has been too much state since people allowed the government to push them around. Would that be before Michael Joseph Savage? | Ray |
| Far too much. State treats citizens like children who can%u2019t think for themselves | Gareth |
| Absolutely! It certainly looks like the “nanny state” is a reality. Over the last five years the Labour government with its heavily weighted Maori caucus and Cabinet has divided us on the basis of what ancestry one has, even in medical treatment priorities, and has given copious handouts with no tags attached to ensure that the money is used appropriately. They’ve got to go! | Laurence |
| very much so | mark |
| Politician’s seem to forget that they have been elected into Government to serve the citizens of New Zealand. Not their beliefs or agendas. Time to drain the swamp and put a Switzerland style Government into place. | Wayne |
| It’s time we had less government in our lives. | Lois |
| I have been telling people this for ages. The proliferation of bureaucrats at local and national levels of government bears witness to the interference. | Peter |
| for too long!! | graham |
| I was part of a mid sized company that was pleased to support workers – with the Gov tax exemption- Muldoon killed a good thing – later the Mayor of Queenstown (Nat politics for a while) I quote – my greatest experience was when Labour introduced Nats policies via Roger Douglas. He was right. | Maurice |
| Wake up everyone, see what is now being done to our farmers where they cannot sell some of their land because of environmental and cultural claims. Our forefathers left their birth places because of draconian government policies which did not reflect democracy for all and here we are facing the same problems if not worse because of the free reign this and some other governments have given to Maori elite. Just look at history what can happen when the elite are allowed to rule through devious and now open government policies. I believe I now live in a country in which apartheid is blatantly being practiced. | Sue |
| Absolutely We should give a hand up – not a perpetual hand out | Gerry |
| Too much state control is a big worry, but what is even more concerning is the large percentage of the population that cannot see the disaster we are being led into, and support this current coalition of chaos. | Graham |
| Totally. Private enterprise is the only way to create wealth. | Andrew |
| Big government is bad government | Peter |
| Rodger Douglas is Correct this Government is only Concerned with Keeping in Power At Any Cost .& The MSM is Certainly on their Left Leaning Side . | Michael Andrew |
| too many ‘mandates’ and too little personal responsibility. | Gay |
| Politicians should run the country and not the people!! | Neil |
| Its not race that is the problem ,but certain people with criminal intent that is the problem. | Charles |
| Sadly, the NZ population has forgotten how to think for themselves. If the government is the answer, it must have been a stupid question. | Michael |
| Hell yeah. | Leonard |
| This has resulted in the abysmal state of this country and needs to be honestly and deeply debated. | Shelley |
| Get rid of MMP and have much smaller government and an elected upper house. | stephen |
| Even our access to natural remedies is now threatened by law changes by Government. Freedom being whittled away. | Helen |
| The last 3-4 decades have seen the government (including Local government) increasingly walk, step by step over our rights and freedoms. Can the fall into irreversible tyranny be stopped? Only if the UN and WEF are dismantled as it’s them who are dragging us into oblivion – “for our safety” they say. | David |
| The poorly thought out GST removal off fruit and vege is a great example of trying to save something that will cost more of our taxpayers money to manage than it saves consumers. In 12 months no one will know as the prices will absorb any gains and its back to normal. | Phil |
| Almost a communist state already. | Graham |
| we need to recover our get off the ground and look after ourselves for the future! | Antony |
| Definitely. | Mike |
| More than we have had for at least 40 years. | Murray |
| Absolutely | Robyn |
| Surely though that is the communist/Labour agenda to rule and dictates per their socialist leanings . Control that obviously is Adern /,Hipkins agenda,further shown by the state purchasing Kiwibank etc Putin would be so proud | Ray |
| So much so, that today democracy no longer exists in New Zealand. God help us. | Stuart |
| Stifling development | lindsay |
| Can’t come quickly enough. | David |
| Bureaucracy and micro-management are stifling and strangling this country. | Bruce |
| absolutely …YES , especially over the last five years . NZ is not NZ anymore , we’re going down to a third world status . | Roy |
| especially as they cannot seem to have the brains to get it right. person on the street with common sense could do better. | Chris |
| Absolutely | David |
| Catastrophically so | Phil |
| They are creating a society of total losers .So sad and wrong | Dianne |
| The founding fathers of America new big government was to be avoided stall cost! | Iain |
| Just leave us alone | Peter |
| Germany had the same interference in the 1930’s and look what happened. | chris |
| We are almost at a racially based dictatorship | Jan |
| Yes as too many people don’t want to work and depend on the govt from the cradle to the grave | Sidwell |
| Smaller govt please!! | John |
| Canada and the Trudeau Government taking a page out of NZ Labour playbook with similar disastrous consequences. | Norman |
| The secret of good government is to leave the people alone. | Ron |
| Hell YES | Martin |
| It would take backbone to do this. I don’t see this in any of our politicians. Big thing is if we don’t stop the takeover of our freedom by these left wing loonies we will loose it | Barras |
| We are gradually being feed so much political propaganda..also everything in our lives is becoming under the control of central government | Peter |
| Absolutely, Govt has demonstrated without doubt they are as useless as an Ashtray on a Motor Bike.!!!. | Noel |
| An other three years of this government will have us living under a dictatorship. | Malcolm |
| Labour have increased bureaucracy and laws which control our lives from Wellington brooking minimal discussion | tony |
| There is too much government interference and they aren’t even doing a good job, or getting any worthwhile results. | Barbara |
| Too much control supported by the UN and NZ voters who are generally naive as to political spin and promises that will never be delivered other than to deceive voters so as to capture votes. | Bob |
| There is far too much State interference in our lives. One of the repercussions of State interference is happening right now, with the wanton lawlessness of people, particularly young people. This is because the State decided that parents could no longer chastise their children, and now, we have young people who have no idea of what it is to be on the side of law and order. That is why we now have our youth totally out of control, because they have never experienced what it is to be punished, by a parent, for an act of disobedience. Those youth don’t even have respect for their parents. That is just one example of State interference and it is time it stopped. What I do or say within my home or to my friends or others, is between me and them, and no business of the State. | Heather |
| Too many of them making and enforcing rules that limit the ability of New Zealanders to grow and thrive. | Graham |
| This become substantially worse through Jacinda Aderns ideology | chris |
| Yes far too much Lets learn from the past when we had much less Interference from Government | Richard |
| Labour have passed too many racial laws to date. Time for them to go….. | Carl |
| AND too much control of the media. | Dave |
| No doubt about it | John |
| State control and bureaucracy is strangling our country | Geoff |
| New Zealand government officials need to get the hell out of people’s lives and allow them to determine their own fate. Too much bullshit bureaucracy from “well meaning” officials – who think they know everything – is stifling the country’s innovative ideal, while keeping a lot of people on welfare ( which they think they’re “entitled” to) instead of encouraging individual aspiration and self responsibility | Trevor |
| We are overwhelmed with bureaucracy! Rules, regulations it is stifling. | Dianne |
| So much so it’s time to evacuate | David |
| The welfare system is dragging down our society to the bottom of the swamp! | Aj |
| This useless pack of bastards that are currently in charge should be told in no uncertain terms that New Zealand is one country & one people & we do not need a ‘government’ forcing all of this crap onto the population. | david |
| Stay away from our kids too! You work for us not the other way around | Gary |
| Absolutely there is ever increasing State interference in our lives. Hopefully it will all end in October when we toss this terrible Labour government OUT. And I hope the next one will get Quit of the Racist Maori Seats. | Eric |
| Disturbingly so Roger Douglas ideas are positive | Maree |
| Yes , yes and yes! | vic |
| of course they are. But that is a natural perspective of any communist system | Philip |
| The ‘state of the Nation’ in 2023 says it all…. | ChrisH |
| New Zealanders were fairly independent when I immigrated in 1974. Now, the country has become a welfare state. | Dan |
| Give us the freedom to do what needs | John |
| Generally speaking, we need NO state interference as such – but we need as much Christian charity towards people who are needy as our society can afford. | Andy |
| The govt needs to stop regulating all of us and driving us into the ground. | Ken |
| Have lost hope for NZ. In my view there appears to be a dark underbelly destroying the country for their own benefit & greed. Too few voters who understand history. Get rid of MMP. Elected people only with IQ and skills who can be voted out if they fail to work for the good of the country & all New Zealanders and not lobby groups or international unelected global organizations. The lack of political spine is alarming. I fear even ACT will not change a thing. All lack courage as do the people. | Sam |
| Covid. Mandates. Feminazis. “The sole source of truth”??? | Philip |
| Too much interference across the whole landscape of human activities. What can be more of an interference than lockdowns and vaccine mandates. | Rod |
| Get big govt, big corp, and big tech out of our daily lives. A free open market, free up choice of competing services, govts back to core services only, revoke race based laws, and references. | Nikki |
| Too many, perhaps almost all politicians believe they are there to rule and not serve. Local politics is all about themselves and their aspirations and not the needs of the community paying the taxes. | Donald |
| Excessive government control and the removal of any potential for self-responsibility and personal growth. | Tim |
| You need to ask?? | Bryan |
| If Labour is re-elected, NZ is sunk for ever. This is our last chance to change things. | Kathryn |
| Absolutely. This government has highlighted how not to govern a country. What a complete disaster they are. Then we have the WEF trying to get the world to go digital on absolutely everything in our personal lives so then you are controlled by government. | Peter |
| Roger Douglas is very far sighted and offers us hope for the financial future of this country. hopefully the incoming govt will take heed but I fear they may have moved too far left. | Rod |
| Any interference is too much interference. | Olive |
| We have come to a place in NZ where the Government even wants to be the parent. They have destroyed marriage and redefined what a family is. As done by successive Labour Governments. Helen Clark and Jacinder Aderrn being the two main destroyers. National trying to gain votes have leaned so far to the left, they are almost falling over. That’s why in that Crucial election, that brought Labour to power, many National voters gave Winstone Peters their party vote. Because his foundational values were aligned with National and even more conservatively so. But because of anger with National revealing personal Welfare details about his lady , plus the offer of Deputy Prime Minister. He went with Labour. Now look at the state of the country. He has never taken responsibility for this. Claims he did not know Labours plan of two sovereignty’s for the Nation. But he has never admitted to the NZ Public why he went with Labour. If he did this and he said he would back a National lead Government, he would get votes again. | Dene |
| Just stop with all the control, control, control that That woman introduced with her socialist policies. We are a democracy, one vote, one person. | Elizabeth |
| In particular note the mammoth actual money costs unnecessary spent to amalgamate the polytechs among numerous other unmandated grabs at institutions to centralise for no real gain | Stephen |
| Sir Roger is correct 100%. This Marxist government belongs in the dark ages. | Derek |
| we do NOT need big brother telling us what to do all the time | Les W |
| Totally smothered and repressive. Hideous laws and regulations that become power kicks for pathetic non productive sociopathic bureaucrats .. just like their political instigating masters. | Alan |
| It is beyond the time that all New Zealanders are made to look after their own future and welfare to some degree without intervention of government. The alternative leads to communism and government control . | Derek |
| Of course there is! | David |
| Yes yes yes! | John |
| And with the Hate Speech legislation which may soon be passed into law, we won’t even be able to contradict or debate issues which are against the Government’s dictates! | Warren |
| Definitely. | Geoffrey |
| Dictators, not servants | mike |
| will they let me comment or will they ‘cancel’ me.? | murray |
| The interference by government is progressing at pace. Our once proud democratic nation is falling apart at the seams to the detriment of every New Zealander. The current administration is devoid of sense of responsibility to its citizens for the sake of socialist control. I pray that those who voted for Labour at the last election have taken this onboard. | chris |
| too much of anything is bad enough | gerard |
| The State seldom does things well and certainly shouldn’t be held up as any sort of example as how to run affairs. | Roger |
| At last, Freedom of Speech. This country is not North Korea. N Z are all one people. | Wendy |
| So frustrating that a lot of NZers don’t recognize what’s happening. Comes back to the saying, The people get the government they deserve. | Peter |
| I wouldn’t trust Douglas an inch. Another opportunist that cost this country dearly. | Trevor |
| Yes Yes & Yes – we have to dump this rabble – our future depends on it. | Colloin |
| You name it the Government will be in it doing their best to wreck it look at Superannuation or potholes the Government can’t figure it all out | Warren |
| Far far too much. | Tim |
| Way too much state intervention, leading to stagnation, loss of property rights, loss of democracy and loss of personal freedom. | Willy |
| Way too much control by Governments. a lower tax rate for everyone would do the same thing by putting more money in the hand of Kiwi’s and lessening the influence of government power freaks. | Ian |
| like a slow moving mud slide it is, bit by bit, smothering us. The craziest thing is that the architects of this ooze genuinely, but misguidedly, believe that they are improving our lot – and at least half of the frogs appear to be blithely enjoying the warming bath! | Francis |
| Yes. Leave us alone to get on with our own lives. | Janine |
| More than ever, but, sadly, it’s hardly new. I wasn’t that old when Mr Douglas and Mr Prebble went against the people’s wishes after the Lange government hired an American consultant who’s report stated NZ could support a 10% unemployment rate, then bam, sold some of the most strategic taxpayer owned assets, thousands upon thousands unemployed, creating, in some cases, generational unemployment. Selling strategic assets is tantamount to selling our sovereignty. And don’t get me started on the neo-liberal monetary policy, we have the “trickle down effect”. Waiting. Only seems to trickle down to government friends and family. Also, when middle income families in NZ have to, cap in hand, approach government to release over taxed moneys as child support, or whatever, this is obvious bureaucratic pillaging of taxpayer monies in anyone’s eyes. Funny how the workers party appears to be the one causing the most misery to workers over the past 40 years, that is not to say the other wing of the same bird hasn’t done enormous damage as well. | larry |
| AND FAR TOO MANY FACELESS BUREAUCRATS | David |
| We need to halve the MP’s and get rid of MMP . Dissolve the TOW and along with it the Racist Waitangi tribunal . Abolish all income taxes and only have GST and watch the economy explode. | Greg |
| Jacinda’s socialist policies benefit the tribal iwi and their racist activists the most. | Peter |
| Absolutely | Elaine |
| Way overregulated | Kevin |
| Less Government more Responsibility | Peter |
| Most definitely, the Government is imposing more and more regulations upon New Zealand citizens. It must be stopped! | Colin |
| Way too much, at every level, from big govt to local govt, to Worksafe, and other SOEs | Jan |
| Yes, and present Government has no mandate from the people to implement their racist ambitions and dictatorship. | June |
| The recent rushed passing of the Therapeutics Products bill demonstrates a draconian level of interference into what we choose to put into our own bodies. | Diana |
| Over regulated, taxed or levied on anything and everything. Failing system and barely treading water. | Gary |
| Power and more power by Government. Plus waste and no accountability by Government | RICHard |
| I am saddened by whats going on with this country, don’t these Politicians have any conscience and don’t they talk to their families who all live in our communities. Do they all want to live under a Maori Government. I worry for my Grandkids. | Barbara |
| Definitely | Barbara |
| way to much we need to get back to personal response-abilities, you don’t want to work you get no money, get yourself pregnant you will be helped but you will have to pay it all back, Have more kids while on the DPB no more money for you you will have to survive on what you were already getting, have a ridiculas amount of kids that you can’t afford don’t expect a hand out, think your entitled to more than others because of your race no your not everybody is the same. NZ to become colour blind in all departments, Only then will people learn that they are responsible for themselves & the state will not be there to pay the price for their stupidity. | Nigel |
| It’s happened while we watched reality tv | John |
| YES, YES, YES. FARRRRR too much control over us. We are not ALL too stupid to make our own decisions. Jacinda and her’s have f–cked our wonderful NEW ZEALAND. Stop it NOW. | Brian |
| ACT for freedom. What a slogan. | DAVE |
| IF the comment for statistical comment would allow, even though 500% ,is a nonsense based on the numeric of only 100, I would undoubtedly vote with 1,000,000% overstretch of daily, hourly and in every way gross interference AND CONTROL of the naieve populace if this current Totalitarian, Authoritarian CONTROL Mechanism… THAT NO-ONE ON ANY POLITICAL Persuasion wanted, intended or encouraged. I look to the joyous days in replicate for this Country of those relished by the Proletariat in France in a different era where the Tricaulese gather their knitting at the Public Executions of the disgraceful Barbarian “Leaders” that ever even considered, never mind enacted this filthy corruption of control and Order on its populace. Keep an eye out at the big event in the months (not years) ahead (excuse the pun re.a Head) as I’ll be up front and centre with Popcorn, soda, superbly well-priced fries and Pies. Discount of 40% if you mention this post! Bring it on… Now. Burn WEF, SCHWAB, WHO, UN, Climate nonsense, EV CONSCRIPTION with no benefits whatsoever except abyssmal environmental travesty, the money laundering scam from the USA that is Ukraine, the “lost files” of Epsteins global cabal membership, Hunter Biden’s amazingly lost by the FBI Laptop… I mean, some days, I “lose” my keys for 10 minutes, never my laptop! Wake up People of this World you once knew… You are so being SCREWED OVER, by blinded ignorance, Government CONTROL and THREATS of consequences, that right now, do not exist… BUT THEY WILL IF UOU LET THIS CLAPTRAP CONTINUE. BRING on the Pyres, off with their Heads! | Graham |
| If NZ isn’t communist, its sure not far away from it. | Peter |
| Heck yes, every aspect of our lives is controlled. I can see why many laws need to exist but it has gone way overboard. | Kate |
| Totally !!!! This is a Marxist controlling mishmash of so called politicians. I was at a gathering last night and everyone, yes everyone, wanted rid of Labour, Maori and the loony Greens — ie out of our lives altogether and having no say whatsoever how the Country off NEW ZEALAND should be run. Luckily history says that in the end the majority takes control. | Alan |
| Yes, and its getting worse with every piece of legislation | Vaughan |
| NZ is already bankrupt and it’s been by design. Our Government (and all western governments) are under the control of the globalist’s via NGO’s such as the IMF, UN, WEF, WHO, CFR ect . Democracy has proven to be a trojan horse and has let the enemy of we the people in. The whole system is corrupt and we the people need to drain the swamp and start again. | neil |
| Sir Roger Douglas has again hit the nail on the head. Politicians are more concerned with protecting their power base than delivering power to their citizens. Kiwisaver is a prime example. Designed to provide security in retirement, it now encourages people to cash most of it in to buy property. Surely banks can Mortgage lend, based on the value of the contributors nest egg, as security for the loan, without taking it off them! My first home loan was secured by assigning a British life insurance policy as security, without surrendering or cashing it in. Historically, both National and Labour seem to hate people attaining financial security. | Vic |
| Time we the people made the current government justify their salaries and work for the citizens of New Zealand and not so TK us to feather their own nest. | David |
| Kills initiative and productivity = the benefit society | mary |
| Co-governance is a good example | Ken |
| Totally. | Greg |
| The obvious one was the lie of Covid-19 | Chris |
| Get rid of the bloody bureaucrats | Tony |
| State control was increased sharply when Jacinda Ardern and the her Labour govt got into power. We desperately need to get rid of this Labour govt and it’s powerful Maori caucus as they are destroying NZ. | Greg |
| Way too much | David |
| Way too much interference in the lives of New Zealanders. We need our democracy and our freedom back now! | Ray |
| Its the personal right of any New Zealand er once off the breast to form their own opinions and make their own decisions without daily nose poking interference by big brother Govt. Create self decisions and consequences: learn by mistakes. | mike |
| This goes towards ” You will own nothing and will be happy” | Rina |
| Absolutely. Personal choice and freedom of opinion the basis of democracy | Sharon |
| Far too much! On all levels. Local Governments are worst. | Klaus |
| Great commentary by Sir Roger. | Michael |
| We are back into nanny state territory. Always happens under a Labour government apart from the Lange Government of 1984. | Chris |
| Actually I’m really sick of it. | Darren |
| Absolutely!! | Jude |
| Freedom is paramount. Without freedom. There is nothing. The treaty gravy train has to stop, it creates a victim mentality which will spiral NZ into chaos and divorce | John |
| And their intention is to increase it! | Andy |
| Wellington needs an out of control scrubfire to clean out the rabbit warren of bureaucrats, political advisory groups and parasites. They feed on the labour and money of others. They won’t limit themselves. They have to be limited. | Mick |
| Socialism gone mad | Gary |
| Bring back Roger Douglas , we could do with his thinking to fix the mess we are in | David |
| Of course – we are fast developing into a government controlled Marxist society | Hylton |
| We now have a bureaucracy bloated by woke and unimaginative drones who attempt to control our everyday lives to convince themselves that they are doing an important job. Time for a decimation! | Rick |
| Manifestly so | Max |
| Very definitely! | Ted |
| Absolutely. Unfortunately as we lower the voting age we’re going to have more inexperienced people calling the shots. Her we go again – ‘Roman Empire’, Incan Empire, etc | Simon |
| more and more communism is slipping in | Colin |
| Absolutely, and it is all about control. Shocking | Gail |
| Far too much | Don |
| Far too much and they’re trying to interfere more. Need to be stopped. | Lee |
| Absolutely, by who ever is in charge. They all want a one world government, renamed Globalisation!!! | Raewyn |
| The fascist control is getting worse by the day | Linda |
| Yes yes yes | Beverley |
| Absolutley | Richard |
| Yes!!! Especially under the current, most incompetent, racist and totalitarian govt this country has seen. There only achievement has been to dictate apartheid , divisive and impoverishing policies for the general population. When they are thrown out, I hope and pray NZ can rebuild and heal from the damage these idiots have done. I would prefer a snap election now, so we can start to heal/rebuild | Andrew |
| You have only got to look at the list of Social Policies the Labour Govt has heaped on New Zealand | Frank |
| far too much. | Graeme |
| Definitely, we need to be responsible for our selves | Fiona |
| Globalist Leaders can go to hell Three main Party Leaders are WEF prodigy Capitalism is over, Democracy is DOOMED. Not enough of us to change what is going to be catastrophic for the World | Hone |
| absolutely | jude |
| Yes, typical communist approach, warned by the famous Orwell quote “Some are more equal than others” | Scott |
| Self-responsibility is key to a successful life. | Jenny |
| Overwhelming state interference and it is counterproductive to inducing people to form a sense of personal responsibility and capacity. Government expenditure is far too high and debt level is not acceptable. PM Hipkins does not have a team able to correct the errors they have made. | Peter |
| I’ll look after myself and far better than the state will. | Carol |
| Absolutely by this Govt. What does the future hold by going down this self destructing path and division. | Russ |
| Most definitely | Lindy |
| It’s past time the government sticked to governing the country not the peoples lives. No more school lunches, you had the kid.. you feed it. No more interference with parenting. | Barbara |
| This Cindy Strumpet Labour government has become totalitarian It deprives people of dignity and self respect, plus the will to be creative. | Raleigh |
| hell yeah | kahn |
| Hideous amount of overreach. | Dianne |
| State interference is a hallmark of all totalitarian regimes. And this is what we have now here in New Zealand. Driven by ruthless radical neo marxists we will suffer death of a thousand cuts if we are not getting rid of them . | Michael |
| – and enormous waste | Laurie |
| That was easy!! | Mark |
| Absolutely | evans |
| The People are capable! | John |
| It is obvious so. We have self centered people in power with very rotten ideologies. It has to stop if we are to survive as a nation and grow. Please New Zealand take your opportunity in October to arrest this situation for the county’s sake. | Leon |
| unequivocally. Its about control – of everything from your personal data through a proposed digital ID card to your thoughts. They want to own you hook line and sinker with their clipboards and pseudo authority they’re on a power trip of importance to themselves. MYOBB | Carolyn |
| It’s 1984 happening before our eyes. | Kevin |
| People need to be empowered not controlled and indoctrinated. | Kay |
| Hands off our money! | Errol |
| Kiwis have become very complacent and don’t see anything wrong with Government supplying everything they could want and more. All Kiwis must be treated equally under the law, with discrimination based on race regarded as illegal. | Helen |
| Absolutely the State interferes far too much in our lives. In fact, as Ronald Reagan says, the ‘government’ is the cause of most of society’s problems! | Gordon |
| Unless National and ACT see sense and adopt the sort of programme Sir Roger has described, the country is doomed to become even more of a backwater. | Roger |
| If only Roger Douglas had been given the backing, his super scheme would have made us all rich, and his flat tax would have produced the sort of prosperity we can only dream of. I’m so pleased to read he is pressing on with his reform ideas. I will certainly sign up for his mailing list. | Gay |
| NZ most certainly needs vision. There are so many opportunities around – we just need the politicians to get out of our way. | Tony |
| When you look at how visionary policy transformed Singapore, and when you read how Sir Roger Douglas had two attempts to introduce transformational policies – namely savings-based super and a flat tax, both of which would have wonders for this country, its long past time to adopt his ideas. And if National or ACT won’t do so, me thinks a new party is needed!!! | Chris |