Clive Bibby: Investing in our best ideas and people who can make it happen

How often do we hear of cases where businesses that have served communities well for decades suddenly struggle to keep the doors open under a more socialist based economy.

Or ideas for structural change that are ignored by the local authorities simply because they are incapable of sharing the vision - frightened would be a more apt description.

For those of us who have watched the decline in numbers of young people wanting to join charitable organisations, are we watching the erosion of a society built on egalitarian principles.

One might ask why our leaders appear so committed to a system where dependency is encouraged at the expense of entrepreneurial spirit.

People tend to forget the times when basic human rights were an accepted part of society but with limitations.

There was a time when every man, woman and child was expected to do their bit in accordance with their ability to do so.

Consequently, when foreign wars, climate events or economic downturns impacted on our way of life, the country as whole rose to the challenge in support of freedom. Sacrifices were made for the greater good.

One may be forgiven for wondering if this current generation of leaders would be capable of calling for restraint when similar circumstances required it.

While we are encouraged to feel safe in our little corner of the world by retaining an independent stance on world wide moral and social issues that are regarded in the interim as someone else’s problem, we should be preparing ourselves for the defence of our region in association with other bigger countries with similar values. We need to get real.

The Chinese threat to the sanctity of our trading routes is likely to become an issue where we need to take sides and by so doing adopt internal policies of restraint and external ones of moral character - supporting a Hamas led Palestinian State not being one of them!

If our ability to trade fairly in markets with countries on the other side of the world is severely compromised, we must be prepared to defend our own moral and economic integrity.

Inevitably that will require some restraint in our current capitulation to the demands of special interest groups .

My guess is that wage claims by public servants should be the first to be put on the back burner as being unaffordable in the circumstances.

No doubt there will be screams from those with the ability to blackmail a government trying to balance our declining foreign exchange earnings with demands from those with responsibility for maintenance of public services.

My sympathy goes to those who clearly deserve higher wages, whether in the public or private sector but these days wage demands must be considered in the context of a war footing.

Others will disagree with my assessment of our current precarious position but we would be fools to try and placate the noisy when the volatile economic world order suggests there are some things we simply can’t afford.

All the more reason for local authorities to base economic restructuring on sound environmentally friendly plans where priorities are given to the unlocking of resources which have potential for growth.

Unfortunately throughout the country, we appear beholden to special interest groups who have an exaggerated opinion of their own self worth.

Nothing will change for the better while we continue to always give them what they want.

Time for change.

Clive Bibby is a commentator, consultant, farmer and community leader, who lives in Tolaga Bay.