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Equinox Moon

(6,344 posts)
Thu May 17, 2018, 01:20 AM May 2018

New Zealand 'people's' budget sees Ardern put billions more into health and education

Source: Guardian

The first Labour government in close to a decade has pledged to make New Zealand a kind and equitable nation where children thrive, and success is measured not only by the nation’s GDP but by better lives lived by its people.
Although the 2018 budget was focused on rebuilding vital public services – particularly the health care sector - Robertson said next year’s budget would be the first in the world to measure success by its people’s wellbeing.

“We want New Zealand to be a place where everyone has a fair go, and where we show kindness and understanding to each other,” said Robertson. “These changes are about measuring success differently. Of course a strong economy is important but we must not lose sight of why it is is important. And it is most important to allow all of us to have better lives ... the government is placing the wellbeing of people at the centre of all its work.”

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her government’s first budget was not focused on the election cycle, but generational improvement in New Zealanders’ lives.

“Rebuild what?” said Ardern, defending her government’s budget and rounding on the opposition leader, Simon Bridges. “Well let’s start with New Zealand’s reputation shall we? We are rebuilding a government that thinks about people.”

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/17/new-zealand-people-budget-jacinda-ardern-health-education



...next year’s budget would be the first in the world to measure success by its people’s wellbeing.






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New Zealand 'people's' budget sees Ardern put billions more into health and education (Original Post) Equinox Moon May 2018 OP
Sounds like a nice place to live. SergeStorms May 2018 #1
Hey, it's where all the Silicon Valley billionare preppers bought their bolt-holes Crash2Parties May 2018 #2
It is a great place to live but there are downsides that OnDoutside May 2018 #5
I wouldn't say tertiary education in NZ is that expensive compared with the US meadowlander May 2018 #7
That's why I said "relatively quite expensive", relative to their salaries. As for the rest OnDoutside May 2018 #8
Do you see what a wonderful place it is? SergeStorms May 2018 #13
Hahahaha, that's DeVos-ian !!! OnDoutside May 2018 #14
I'll take California any day just because of the weather ansible May 2018 #9
You could live.... SergeStorms May 2018 #12
Use to cost $42 Nzl dollars ($29US) brettdale May 2018 #3
Putin's not going to like this. C Moon May 2018 #4
I have a friend samplegirl May 2018 #6
Wow, some people have a government that works for them instead of sinkingfeeling May 2018 #10
They are very unique. Equinox Moon May 2018 #15
See young people these days ruin everything, eat Tide pods, IronLionZion May 2018 #11

SergeStorms

(18,903 posts)
1. Sounds like a nice place to live.
Thu May 17, 2018, 01:44 AM
May 2018

In contrast to the shit-show we're experiencing in the good old U.S. of A. where children only matter when they're in the womb, and we spend obscene amounts of money on the weapons of war and all the accoutrements thereof. Then, of course, we have to tip the playing field in favor of the already wealthy at the expense of those struggling to merely survive.

In which of these two countries would you YOU wish to live?

Crash2Parties

(6,017 posts)
2. Hey, it's where all the Silicon Valley billionare preppers bought their bolt-holes
Thu May 17, 2018, 01:53 AM
May 2018

Of course they'd never let the rest of us in, which is probably why the SV guys chose it.

OnDoutside

(19,908 posts)
5. It is a great place to live but there are downsides that
Thu May 17, 2018, 03:09 AM
May 2018

funnily enough the Labour party seem to be tackling or promising to.

A friend of mine had a back problem, and got to see a consultant a couple of days later, when the consultant identified the problem and wanted to do the operation the following day !

As against that, 3rd level education is relatively quite expensive, and the overall standard wouldn't be as high, compared to here in Ireland anyway. The son of a friend of mine moved over to NZ to live with his grandparents and play rugby. His standard in Ireland was a B minus student but within the NZ system he is an A plus student ! But still a lot better than being in a charter school I suspect !

meadowlander

(4,358 posts)
7. I wouldn't say tertiary education in NZ is that expensive compared with the US
Thu May 17, 2018, 03:38 AM
May 2018

and the Labour party is proposing to make the first year free. Tuition for domestic students is only a few thousand a year depending on the subject - the equivalent of a mid-tier state university in the US.

It's a really small country - the whole population of NZ is only 6 million which is less than the population of San Francisco. You wouldn't really expect half a dozen world class universities. And the quality of education depends quite a lot on the subject. There's pioneering research going on in geology, ecology, geothermal energy generation, etc. But for something like a business or computer science degree, you're not going to get the equivalent of Wharton Business School or MIT.

I would say the major downsides are housing affordability, comparatively low wages and very long flights if you ever want to go anywhere else. You have to save a 20% deposit to buy a house and average house prices in Auckland are over NZ$1 million (US$700,000ish). So to buy an average first home it's not unusual to have to save more than $100,000 for the deposit. And the quality of housing is pretty shabby overall. That "average" first home is probably cinder block with a steel roof, no insulation, a postage stamp yard and an hour commute into the city.

I would also grumble about the overall quality of goods and value for money. There is no economy of scale in NZ because the population is so small and the country is so geographically isolated. It can only really support two supermarket chains, one or two of each type of big box retailer and because there is no competition you get gouged for some really shoddy products with no options to buy something better. Of course that's why God invented online shopping...

But lots of pluses too - almost free health care, 80% renewable energy, robust unions, a real social safety net, amazing access to the great outdoors, etc.

OnDoutside

(19,908 posts)
8. That's why I said "relatively quite expensive", relative to their salaries. As for the rest
Thu May 17, 2018, 04:09 AM
May 2018

it matches up to what my friends have said about it, though dental seems to be an issue. The daughter of one said that she couldn't have had that lifestyle here in Ireland. She rides ponies and they bring her skiing, trekking and kayaking. Stuff they would never have done here in Ireland. That said, as she is now about 7, they plan to move back to Ireland and a large part of that is for her education, where they standard is higher.

SergeStorms

(18,903 posts)
13. Do you see what a wonderful place it is?
Thu May 17, 2018, 11:35 AM
May 2018

Your friend's son got a lot more intelligent just from moving there! Oh, if it were that easy, right?

 

ansible

(1,718 posts)
9. I'll take California any day just because of the weather
Thu May 17, 2018, 05:47 AM
May 2018

For all its positives, NZ's weather is pretty miserable in comparison. My ex lives there and she suffers from severe depression partly because of how cold and windy the weather is.

SergeStorms

(18,903 posts)
12. You could live....
Thu May 17, 2018, 11:30 AM
May 2018

just about anywhere in the north-east and have the same conditions. There are three good months out of the year in the north-east. The rest are transition months, or winter. You can't let the weather get you down, because there's not a damned thing you can do about it (other than moving) anyway. You may as well make the most of whatever you have, and not be a "weather slave".

brettdale

(12,332 posts)
3. Use to cost $42 Nzl dollars ($29US)
Thu May 17, 2018, 02:10 AM
May 2018

to go to a GP in New Zealand.

Its now going to cost $10 Nzl dollars ($7 Us) for low wage New Zealanders.

Children 14 and under can now go for free.

Equinox Moon

(6,344 posts)
15. They are very unique.
Thu May 17, 2018, 07:05 PM
May 2018

I find myself enjoying hearing news of Jacinda Ardern's PM term. Her baby is due in June. She is the youngest world leader. She is the second to be pregnant while running a country.

Go Jacinda!

IronLionZion

(45,261 posts)
11. See young people these days ruin everything, eat Tide pods,
Thu May 17, 2018, 09:51 AM
May 2018

oh wait!....

Young people always feel entitled.

"We are rebuilding a government that thinks about people.”

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