Greg Clydesdale: Why is Tourism a Poison Chalice?

We now have our fifth Tourism Minister in as many years. Of course, one of those was due to a change of government but, nevertheless, this office is increasingly looking like a poison challis. This is remarkable given that tourism is not a politically contentious area. It should not be a hot-potato, in which case, we need to dig deeper to find the source of the problem.

Greg Clydesdale: Captured Ministers and the Government’s Economic Goals

When Helen Clark came to power, she stated that she intended to raise the New Zealand economy to the top half of OECD.  When she came to power, New Zealand was ranked 19th. Not only did we fail to advance but NZ actually went backwards.  By the time she had left, we had fallen to 22nd.  

National have come to power with similar ambitious targets, but can we have faith in the ministers and bureaucrats behind their policy?  To give you an example of the bureaucrat’s ability to deliver innovation and economic growth, I will refer to a policy from the previous government.

Greg Clydesdale: Why Jacinda Ardern’s Poverty drive failed

Jacinda Ardern came to power with the stated goal of reducing poverty. At the end of her tenure, we could comfortably state her achievements were under-whelming. In fact, when we compare her goals to what she achieved, we can say it more explicitly – she failed! This represents a long list of failures to reduce poverty including the ‘Working for Families’ program and ‘Closing the Gaps’.

I had the opportunity to speak to Ardern’s Child Poverty Unit (CPU) in 2020 and recognised at the time that they would fail. They were driven by the same ideologies behind other failed programs, that is the poverty cycle.

Greg Clydesdale: What is the Most Discriminatory Organisation in NZ?

If we are to give an award to the most discriminatory award in New Zealand, one organisation proudly stands at the head of the pack.  For decade after decade, this organisation has consistently discriminated against one segment of the population – That organisation is no other than the Department of Conservation, and the population it discriminates against is the disabled with some flow over to the elderly.

I can provide a lot of evidence why D.O.C deserve this award, but I will begin with a personal experience.  Many years ago, I had a telephone conversation with a staff member at D.O.C in which I said I wanted greater access for elderly on our mountains.

Dr Greg Clydesdale: Media campaign increases harm

At Lincoln University, we were all deeply affected by the attack on the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre.  We lost four people.  I personally lost a marker, a young man who had just finished his PhD and had his whole life ahead of him. 

The pitiful irony is the mass-murderer thought he was superior to someone who had just completed a PhD and was a good man in every sense of the word.  It is invariably the case that those who claim white supremacy are the ones who least fit that description.