David Lillis: The Dust Has Settled – where to now?

Focus on a Positive Future

The 2023 election returned a new Government to New Zealand. After several years that have usually, but not always, provided constructive criticism of the previous Government’s delivery, the time has arrived for positive reinforcement of our new Government’s agendas in all domains of public and national interest with which we agree, including education and science. Knowing little of economics, social policy and other domains, we confine our comments and expectations mainly to those areas in which we have professional experience - indeed, including education and science.

Protect Our Hard-won Democracy

Cease New Zealand’s drive towards co-governance and decolonization, and remember at all times that we are a multicultural, rather than a bicultural, nation. Our democracy, though imperfect, has been hard-won and must be protected at all costs. Healing fractures and repairing inequalities can be achieved with good will and New Zealand can continue its excellent progress towards realization of these ambitions without conferring special status to particular groups.

Ensure Freedom of Speech

Ensure freedom of speech within the entire community, including freedom of expression within our universities and other institutions of higher education. It goes without saying that freedom of speech must never encompass hate or incitement to oppression or violence.

Embrace Colorblind Ideologies and Make of New Zealand a True Meritocracy

Remember that colorblindness in ideology (and most probably also in policy-making) tends to reduce prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination. Remember that multiculturalism is associated with high-quality intergroup relations, also reducing prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination. Finally, remember that meritocracy similarly reduces discrimination and any perceived need for policy support or intervention (see Lillis, 2023).

Make Evidence-based Policy

Hear the concerns of those who still live with the legacies of injustices of the past but remember that many inequalities in the present do not necessarily arise from bias in the present. Certain inequalities arise mainly from social and economic causes and thus are best addressed by putting right those very causes rather than conferring systemic advantage to one or other group.

Proportion Scarce Resources to Those in Greatest Need

Prioritize those communities, individuals and families in greatest need (rather than on the basis of cultural or ethnic affiliation) in all critical domains, especially in health, education and economic support.

Ensure and Protect High Quality Education

Ensure that the key elements of the proposed excellent education manifestoes are delivered in full and as quickly as possible, especially in relation to improved teacher training and renewed focus on literacy and numeracy. While according a degree of primacy to the world views and language of the first inhabitants of these islands, educate our children about the world views of all major ethnic and cultural groups. However, under no circumstances present that which is non-scientific as truth, nor establish artificial equality between the traditional knowledge of communities of the distant past and world science of the twenty-first century.

Enhance our Tertiary System

Address current shortfalls in financing of tertiary education and improve the administration of our universities. Undo current initiatives involving unwarranted and retrograde “decolonization” and indigenizing of our universities and other tertiary institutions, and institute cultures that empower expert researchers and teachers to contribute meaningfully, both to longer-term strategy and the day-to-day running of the universities and other tertiary institutions.

Resource Science that is Excellent and Relevant

Ensure that we provide resourcing to science that is excellent and relevant to the greater community of New Zealanders, our environment and our economy but, beyond some genuine resourcing of research relating to the first inhabitants of New Zealand and other significant minorities, do not engage in funding of research on the basis of ethnic or cultural affiliation.

Increase Resourcing to Health and Wellbeing

Address resourcing shortfalls to Health and Wellbeing and prioritize on the basis of need rather than of group affiliation. Create a Health system that is blind to color and ethnicity. Only in very exceptional cases allow medicine that is non-mainstream to exist outside health legislation and remember the possible impacts on those who choose traditional methods rather than established best medical practice.

Ensure Balanced and Objective Media

Our media plays a critical role in shaping public opinion. It should present truth rather than one perspective only, and must exist and function independent of Government or indeed any faction. Consequently, make it absolutely non-negotiable that New Zealanders can place trust in what we are told within our online and printed media. Ensure that journalists who advance perspectives on social, political and race-related issues have genuine subject-matter expertise and that they observe necessary balance and fairness in expressing opinion.

Address New Zealand’s Bullying Problem

Address a serious bullying problem in our schools and in our places of work, and strengthen existing legislation, including the Employment Relations Act 2000. Establish improved protocols for leadership and management and implement improved criteria for appointment of leaders and managers. Set new and improved standards and expectations of our workplaces and especially of our Government Departments, Ministries and other entities in relation to employment, promotion, treatment and reward of workers.

Good Luck to our New Government

To our new leaders - think again about the interests of every New Zealander, irrespective of ethnicity, cultural affiliation, country of origin or religion. Aspire to create a kinder, more embracing and tolerant nation in which every man, woman and child is fully equal and none are left behind. Confront your collective conscience and consider not only the wishes of the majority, but what evidence tells us about what makes for a truly progressive and just society.

Good luck to our new Government. Show that you can work productively together to achieve good things for our country. You have a job of work to do. Go do it and may the force be with you!

Reference

Lillis, David (2023). A Just New Zealand - lessons for our Leaders?https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2023/10/david-lillis-just-new-zealand-lessons.html

Dr David Lillis trained in physics and mathematics at Victoria University and Curtin University in Perth, working as a teacher, researcher, statistician and lecturer for most of his career. He has published many articles and scientific papers, as well as a book on graphing and statistics.