Below is my column from the NBR - it's a critique of the government's economic strategy - though in the interests of non-partisanship it should first be pointed out that it's not as if the National Party are offering anything better - in fact, the Nats still haven't thought up an economic strategy, other than "steady as she goes". You can read the column at this link, https://www.nbr.co.nz/node/232187 or here:Earlier this year Finance Minister, Grant Robertson, was full of hubris. Buoyed by the temporary “elimination” of the virus, he painted himself as saviour, describing NZ as the “envy of many countries in the world”.
His 2021 Budget Speech, whose theme was “Accelerating our Recovery”, was detached from reality. It implied his government had successfully put the worst behind us. It was reminiscent of US President George W. Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” fiasco, when he prematurely declared the Iraq War over.
