Hot air – by the sounds of things – is, or will be, making a vital contribution to the country’s economic recovery.
The PoO team (we acknowledge) is not strong on the intricacies of turbocharging. But we determined to learn more after the PM proclaimed:
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis
Wow. The government will be turbocharging the country’s economic growth and – shazam! – this will put us “on the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives”.
But whoa. What does turbocharging entail?
One answer dug out by our research team says:
The turbocharger ingeniously utilises the otherwise wasted heat energy within the exhaust system to drive a compressor responsible for compressing incoming air. This compressed air possesses greater density, enabling more fuel injection and thereby increasing the engine’s power output. Turbocharging is an effective method for enhancing engine performance without enlarging the engine itself.
Fair to say, Luxon did not mention turbocharging in his State of the Nation 2025 speech today -at least, not according to the copy posted on the Government’s official website.
The speech did describe the path he intends taking and his intended destination:
I want New Zealand to be a country of aspiration, ambition, and opportunity.
But to meet that moment and to make that vision a reality, we have to go for growth.
It’s just not up for negotiation anymore.
If we want a better standard of living, we have to go out and make it happen.
Luxon’s mention of turbocharging, thereby harnessing hot air to hasten the country’s economic rejuvenation, is to be found in the media statement he released under embargo at the same time as he sent the media his speech notes.
Fair to say, furthermore, both the speech and the media statement contain significant policy announcements. These involve major changes to the science and innovation sector and overseas investment, designed to lift productivity, boost Kiwi incomes, and create opportunities here at home.
Wow. The government will be turbocharging the country’s economic growth and – shazam! – this will put us “on the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives”.
But whoa. What does turbocharging entail?
One answer dug out by our research team says:
The turbocharger ingeniously utilises the otherwise wasted heat energy within the exhaust system to drive a compressor responsible for compressing incoming air. This compressed air possesses greater density, enabling more fuel injection and thereby increasing the engine’s power output. Turbocharging is an effective method for enhancing engine performance without enlarging the engine itself.
Fair to say, Luxon did not mention turbocharging in his State of the Nation 2025 speech today -at least, not according to the copy posted on the Government’s official website.
The speech did describe the path he intends taking and his intended destination:
I want New Zealand to be a country of aspiration, ambition, and opportunity.
But to meet that moment and to make that vision a reality, we have to go for growth.
It’s just not up for negotiation anymore.
If we want a better standard of living, we have to go out and make it happen.
Luxon’s mention of turbocharging, thereby harnessing hot air to hasten the country’s economic rejuvenation, is to be found in the media statement he released under embargo at the same time as he sent the media his speech notes.
Fair to say, furthermore, both the speech and the media statement contain significant policy announcements. These involve major changes to the science and innovation sector and overseas investment, designed to lift productivity, boost Kiwi incomes, and create opportunities here at home.
- Invest New Zealand will be established as the Government’s one-stop-shop for foreign direct investment. Modelled off the success of Ireland and Singapore, Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors.
Invest New Zealand will increase capital investment across a range of critical sectors – like banking and fintech, critical infrastructure like transport and energy, manufacturing, and innovation.
- The science sector will be significantly restructured “because we want more break throughs, more discoveries, more start-ups, more IPOs, and many more opportunities for Kiwis to compete on the world stage”.
The country’s seven Crown Research Institutes will be re-established as four Public Research Organisations, focused on bio-economy, earth sciences, health and forensic sciences, and advanced technology.
Luxon enthused:
“And I want us to commercialise our brilliant ideas – so that our science system makes us all wealthier. Too often, new innovations are effectively shelved – with potential commercialisation often an afterthought.
“Right now, scientists see too few of the proceeds of their own research. We’re going to change that – with researchers seeing a greater commercial share of their own innovations.”
Your PoO team hoped to hear Luxon declare an end to the bizarre blending of science with matauranga Maori and its spiritualism.
It is this that resulted in Landcare Research’s involvement in a $4m project playing whalesong to trees.
PoO will later post news of the science shake-up as it was announced by Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins.
In his speech, Luxon highlighted some other areas that would be key for growth – including competition, RMA reform, fixing health and safety rules, backing tourism and mining, and making life easier for farmers.
Health and safety, PoO’s analysts noted, rated more highly in Luxon’s considerations than health.
But early in the speech, he conditioned his audience not to expect to learn much on some fronts:
I’m here today to talk about the economy – and almost nothing else.
It’s not that public safety isn’t important – because it is, and we’ve made very positive progress on it so far with more visible policing in our cities and tougher policing on gang activity already making a real impact.
And it’s not that health or education aren’t important – because they are.
Whether it’s our record investment in health, ensuring so many Kiwis who waited so long for new cancer drugs, are now receiving treatment.
Or our fresh approach to literacy and numeracy, ensuring Kiwi kids master the basics.
And a few minutes later:
We are making major investments in health – to the tune of $17 billion in last year’s Budget.
That means more funding for emergency departments and the surgeries we all rely on, and a massive package of new cancer treatments and other medicines designed to support Kiwis when they need it most.
But he did not acknowledge the dire state of the country’s health services, or elaborate on why he shifted Dr Shane Reti out of the portfolio and appointed Simeon Brown.
He did say our health and safety system is crying out for attention.
Next, we have to fix our broken health and safety rules.
I wouldn’t be shocked if cones were New Zealand’s fastest growing industry. They’re everywhere.
Wayne Brown has done a great job fighting back here in Auckland, and Simeon Brown fought hard against them in his time as Minister of Transport too.
But they are just a symptom of a bigger problem.
Our broken health and safety rules layer on costs and slow down activity – often without making Kiwis any safer.
This year we will crack on and make big changes.
That’s not to be sneezed at – but let’s hear a commitment, too, to cracking on and making big changes to our ailing health services.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
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