Who would have thought that so many different groups of public sector workers would have discovered at roughly the same time that they have been underpaid and under-resourced to such an extent?

No one doubts that teachers of different kinds and at different levels, and health care professionals across the sector, as well as a range of other public servants, have all been under-valued over a long period. But what is surprising is that they stayed silent about their plight for such a long time.

Being underpaid – that is, being paid less than one is worth – does not, after all, happen in the blink of an eye. It is necessarily something that develops over a period – and something that cannot happen without the victims being aware of what is happening.

So how is it that it has only now become an issue? Why were we not made aware of complaints and protests, of strikes, and difficulties of recruitment and people leaving the profession, over the decade or more during which the underpayment phenomenon was gathering force?

How did those who were responsible for the growing crisis across the board, those who held the purse strings at the crucial time, those who – in government – boasted of how well they were managing the public finances, get away with it?

Why is it only now, now that the situation has crystallised and become entrenched, that government is under pressure to take urgent action? Why, when the underpayment issue took years to develop, do the efforts to remedy it suddenly have to be completed overnight?

One is tempted to answer these questions with a shrug of the shoulders and to marvel at how successful has been a political strategy adopted by one of our two major parties. National, when in government, quite deliberately decided to hold down wages and restrict resources in the public sector. They gained, as a result, plaudits for managing their finances prudently, and for producing a government surplus, and have the been able to sit back and watch while their successors have had to find the funds to make good the shortfalls that have arisen and have copped brickbats from the public sector work force when they couldn’t do so immediately.

Are the public servants themselves unaware of how they have been manipulated, as though they were pawns in a game of chess? Or are they willingly complicit? Did they recognise that, as a right-wing government saved money at their expense, any protests would fall on deaf ears, and opportunistically calculate that the time to make a fuss would be to wait until a government more sympathetic to their cause gained power?

Do they imagine that striking (literally) while the iron is hot – that is, when a government committed to the public sector is in office – is at all likely to resolve their problems in the long term? Or will it not increase the chances of the return of an unsympathetic government that will launch the same damaging cycle of public sector cuts and underpaid public servants all over again?

No one doubts the justice of their cause. But the resolution of the endemic problem of under-resourcing should not be the sole responsibility of a government that had no responsibility for creating the problem in the first place. That task must be undertaken by both government and workers working together and showing some understanding of how and why it came about, and making a joint and cooperative effort to enter upon a course of action that will produce – not a rabbit out of a hat – but a long-term solution that will last.

Everyone – on all sides – should recognise that both rabbits and hats are in short supply.

Bryan Gould
9 June 2019

“Keep things as they are,” is always the catch-cry of those who are happy with their lot. “Change is a waste of time” makes sense to those who are doing well and see no reason to disturb their privileged existence.

That is precisely why the right-wing party in Britain calls itself the Conservatives – they have plenty to conserve and they don’t want anyone rocking the boat – especially if it’s a luxury yacht. The corollary is that they have little interest in, or sympathy for, those whose vessels are a little less seaworthy.

The usual argument of those who resist change is that the privilege they enjoy has been earned, and is a just reward for their superior abilities and efforts; it has not, they say, been gained at the expense of others, so any attempt to redress the imbalance between them and those others would not only be misplaced but unfair.

But we know that privilege breeds privilege – and that is not just a slogan but an economic fact. Research by Nobel Prize-winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz, shows conclusively that the best chance of being well-off is to be born to rich parents.

He also shows that it is up to us to choose, as a society, whether or not to tolerate a high degree of inequality. If we allow our politics to be dominated by defenders of the status quo (or, in other words, by “conservatives”) we will end up with a society in which privilege is endemic and entrenched and feeds on itself.

It will also be a society that functions less well, that is riven by discontent and division, and that fails to use its resources (particularly human resources) fully and efficiently.

The inefficient use of human resources in such a society occurs for two reasons. First, if privilege is the deciding factor, then incompetent people will be promoted to positions for which they are not fitted – and they will then make a bad job of making the important decisions that affect all of us.

Secondly, if privilege is the key to success, then able people, with plenty to offer, will be held back and denied opportunities so that we lose the full benefit of what they can contribute.

If, however, we want to see a fairer and more integrated society, we might prefer political leaders who try to find better and fairer ways of cutting the cake – as well as making the cake bigger.

But those who favour the status quo will always argue that change isn’t needed or won’t or can’t work, or that, even if it is brought about, it will produce outcomes that are not those intended.

They will, in other words, always protect their privilege, usually by rubbishing those who seek change – what else do you expect?

So, the next time you read or hear someone, as a matter of course, rubbishing or mocking change or those seeking change, just because it is change, pause to question their motives. Aren’t they really just defending privilege?

And you should really be on your guard if you are told that those who are less privileged have missed out because they are feckless or ignorant or can’t be bothered to get up in the morning – or that the fat cats got that way because of their inborn qualities and by working hard.

Another tell-tale sign is when it is not change itself but those proposing change who are attacked, or the difficulties inevitably encountered in bringing that change about are highlighted and celebrated – when their message is that if change can’t be achieved painlessly or smoothly it should not be attempted.

No one pretends that change is painless or that making good past deficiencies does not carry a cost. But we should always be on our guard against those who say that proposed change should never be supported because it always means worse rather than better, and is, as a matter of principle, misconceived.

Change can only be resisted in principle by those who are satisfied that everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds – and only those who don’t think, think like that.

Bryan Gould
15 May 2019

Perhaps it’s because of the sheer size – and therefore enormous potential – of their country, but Australians have always demonstrated a harder-edged nationalism than have Kiwis. And that tendency has become even more apparent in recent years, when they have begun to flex their muscles as, potentially, a regional, if not global, power.

The consequence of this growing sense of importance on a wider stage has been bad news for the traditional trans-Tasman, Anzac-based, camaraderie. The relationship with New Zealand matters less than it did (something that can be established by numerous examples) and is one increasingly of big brother to little brother, with New Zealanders being tolerated only as a kind of Australian sub-species.

This increasingly apparent nationalism – and the sense of “Australia first” and the dismissal of anything that is not “dinkum Aussie” that one sees today, and every day, most obviously on the sports field – is all the more surprising for a country that has been built on immigration and the welcoming (other than by the indigenous people) of people from distant lands.

There is a strongly entrenched narrative that reinforcing the Australian identity is the route to an even brighter future and greater influence – and it is at least arguable that the unexpected election victory for the incumbent government was a further expression of the sentiment that electing that government was a further test of one’s “Australian-ness”.

There was some speculation, prior to the election, that the death of Bob Hawke, the quintessential Aussie and former Labour premier, would work in favour of the Labour opposition; but the reverse may have been the case. The publicity surrounding Bob Hawke’s death may have redounded to the benefit of the party most clearly seen as “representing” (in the sense of being pat of the fabric of) today’s Australia.

“Dinkum Aussies”, and perhaps especially, non-political ones, in other words, are expected to stick by their government, through thick and thin, just as they do with their sportsmen and sportswomen in times of adversity. Nationalism, in its various forms, has, after all, always been a characteristic of right-wing politics, so it should come as no surprise that a heightened sense of the Australian national identity should work in favour of an incumbent government of the right.

The direction of travel and causation may not, either, have been entirely from nationalistic attitudes leading to right-wing political views, but rather in the reverse direction. Australians have always been less socially aware and responsive than Kiwis; it is no accident that the great New World advances in social policy were achieved in New Zealand, rather than across the Tasman.

A fundamentally right-wing view of society may, in other words, have both generated and then benefited from a rising tide of nationalism. Whatever the truth of such speculation, the re-election of a National /Liberal government in Australia looks sure to be bad news for Kiwis, particularly for those who were unwise enough to cross the Tasman in search of a new start.

The re-elected government is unlikely to change its unfair treatment of, and its withholding of the normal rights of citizenship from, those Kiwis, and Scott Morrison is himself closely identified with the shameful treatment of refugees for which Australia has become notorious – though Australians seem to find it perfectly acceptable.

A further deterioration in trans-Tasman relations may be in store, but we should not blame any difficulties on political differences between the governments that have been elected most recently in the two countries. Both sides have become adept over the decades at managing and accommodating such differences in the wake of general elections producing governments of different colours on the two sides of the Tasman.

The parting of the ways that has begun to emerge is more a function of changes in Australian attitudes – changes that are not, sadly, helpful to the Anzac spirit. We’ll just have to get used to the new normal – and to regret what we have lost.

Bryan Gould
20 May 2019

“Business as usual” is always the catch-cry of those who are happy with the way things are. “Let’s not change anything” makes sense to those who are doing well and see no reason to run any risks in case that might disturb their care-free existence.

That is precisely why the right-wing party in Britain calls itself the Conservatives – they have plenty to conserve and they don’t want anyone rocking the boat – especially if it’s a luxury yacht. The corollary is that they have little interest in, or sympathy for, those whose vessels are a little less seaworthy.

The preservation of the status quo and resistance to change are the hallmarks of those who are fearful that their privileged status might be challenged – and, if it is challenged, they will respond with any weapon they can lay their hands on.

The usual response is to assert that the privilege or advantage they enjoy has been earned and is a just reward for their superior abilities and efforts; it has not, they say, been gained at the expense of others, so any attempt to redress the imbalance between them and those others would not only be misplaced but unfair.

The difficulty with this line of argument is that we know that privilege breeds privilege – and inequality. We know that it is not just a slogan but an economic fact. Research by Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz shows conclusively that one’s best chance of becoming well-off is to be born to rich parents.

He also shows that we can choose, as a society, whether or not to tolerate a high degree of inequality. If we allow our politics to be dominated by defenders of the status quo (or, in other words, by “conservatives”) we will end up with a society in which privilege is endemic and entrenched and feeds on itself.

It will also be a society that functions less well, that is riven by discontent and division, and that fails to use its resources (particularly human resources) fully and efficiently.

The inefficient use of human resources in such a society arises in two ways and for two reasons. First, if privilege is the determining factor, then incompetent people will be promoted, by virtue of privilege, to positions for which they are not fitted – and our economic leaders will make a worse job of making important decisions that affect all of us.

Secondly, if privilege is allowed free rein, then able people, with plenty to offer, will be held back and denied opportunities so that the rest of us are denied the full benefits of what they can contribute.

If, however, we are disturbed by a growing disparity between the well-being of some parts of society and others, we might prefer political leaders who seek change and try to find better and fairer ways of cutting the cake – and making the cake bigger as well.

Change will alway be uncomfortable for those for whom the status quo is acceptable and desirable. They will always reach for arguments that those seeking change are on the wrong track, or that the change is misconceived or won’t or can’t work, or that, even if it is brought about, it will produce outcomes that are not those intended.

Those who see change as threatening their privilege will, in other words, always seek to defend that privilege, usually by attacking those who seek change – what else do you expect them to do?

So, the next time you read or hear someone resisting change, pause to question their motives. Are they really opposed to change in general, and across the board, or are they really just defending privilege?

And you should really be on your guard if you are told that those who are less privileged have missed out because they are lazy or greedy and can’t be bothered to get up in the morning – or that the fat cats got that way because of their inborn qualities and by thinking of others and working hard.

Another tell-tale sign is when it is not change itself but those proposing change – change in the general interest and not for personal gain – who are attacked, for facing up to difficulties inevitably encountered in bringing that change about; the message seems to be that if change can’t be achieved painlessly or smoothly it should not be attempted.

No one pretends that change is painless or that remedying past deficiencies does not carry a cost. But we should always be on our guard against those who, as a matter of course, attack proposed change on the ground that it is misconceived and that disturbing the status quo should always, and as a matter of principle, be resisted.

Change can only be resisted by those who are satisfied that everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds – and guess who thinks like that?

Bryan Gould
15 May 2019

When Jacinda Ardern went to China last week, she had a major task before her – the repair of a relationship that mattered greatly to New Zealand but one that had been threatened by the concerns of our security services about the involvement of the Chinese telecoms giant, Huawei, in the roll-out of our new G5 network

Fortunately for us and for that relationship, the Prime Minister took with her an unparalleled advantage that was hers alone. She took with her the international mana and prestige that had accrued to her by virtue of the leadership she has shown over the Christchurch shootings. The warmth of her reception and the respect she was shown when she was received in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing was testament to the regard in which she is now held worldwide.

In New Zealand, we are becoming somewhat blasé about her achievements – but it is worth recalling just what has happened over the last year or two. A young woman with no previous experience of government has been elected, by virtue of a somewhat unexpected election victory, to the top position in our government.

She has had to form a coalition government, bringing together two other parties, and has set that government on course to achieve major reforms in hitherto neglected areas – affordable housing, mental health and child poverty, amongst others, and she took this on while at the same time giving birth to her first-born – an experience that by itself tests the mettle and absorbs all the time of most first-time mothers.

Not content with focusing on domestic issues, she has also undertaken extensive overseas commitments, representing New Zealand to general acclaim at the United Nations and at gatherings like Davos, leading discussions with world authorities and making important contributions on issues like climate change and mental health.

Then came New Zealand’s “darkest day” in Christchurch, and the world marvelled at her capacity to respond to the victims and their communities with love and compassion – to heal a bleeding country, but at the same time to take decisive action on the things that demanded attention – better gun control, more responsibility to be shown by the social media, an inquiry as to whether our intelligence services had done their job properly.

Did the self-styled spokesperson for the “gun lobby”, who described her as “dumb as a plank”, realise when he appeared on television a day or two ago with that remark what a plonker he made himself seem?

Our Prime Minister is now seen as a world leader. She is a fresh voice, that is listened to with respect and attention. She is seen to embody the virtues of youth and femininity. She has forced us all to re-consider what qualities we can legitimately expect from our leaders. New Zealand’s standing in the world has been enormously enhanced. The country’s image, reflecting the persona of our Prime Minister, has achieved a new definition in the world’s eyes.

So, when the Prime Minister was welcomed in Beijing, it came as no surprise that she was not treated as a supplicant, but as an equal. New Zealand may be a minnow by comparison with the new super-power, but she was recognised as a leader whose message had to be heard. New Zealand is immeasurably advantaged by that kind of stature.

It is an essential part of a constructive relationship with China that, as the Chinese President said, we should “trust each other”. The Chinese know that, in Jacinda Ardern, they have a friend they can trust – but also a friend who is ready to stand up for what, on issues like human rights, she knows to be right – as she was ready to stand up to Donald Trump over the threat posed by “white supremacists” and the need to show love and compassion to our Muslim communities. More power to her elbow!

Bryan Gould
2 April 2019