One of the goals of the research I've kicked off on the legacy of Rogernomics is to identify undeclared conflicts of interest. Where politicians or people close to them benefited financially from neoliberal specific neoliberal actions taken by governments they were part of.

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#neoliberalism #Rogernomics

In the 1980s, despite more than a decade of dysfunctional Muldoonist rule, almost everyone in Aotearoa was fed, housed, and employed, and had free access to healthcare and education. Most infrastructure entities were public-owned, and trained generations of tradespeople.

Today marks 40 years since the election of the #Rogernomics government. The origin of a neoliberal paradigm that has destroyed that prosperity, under governments led by both legacy parties.

Time for change.

#neoliberalism

One point made in the 1996 Revolution documentary series is that the railways used to train a lot of the country's tradespeople. The same would be true, to a lesser extent, for other public organisations. So yes, from a purely financial POV, they became more "efficient" (ie could extract more profit) by firing 1/2 to 2/3 of their staff. But the current shortage of tradespeople, and the consequently huge cost of getting anything built or maintained, is a direct result of doing that.

#Rogernomics

No discussion of the legacy of the 1980s/90s neoliberal coup in NZ would be complete without a #HatTip to Alister Barry's trilogy of documentaries about it;

Someone Else's Country (1996);

https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/someone-elses-country-1996

In a Land of Plenty (2002)

https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/in-a-land-of-plenty-2002

A Civilised Society (2006);

https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/a-civilised-society-2006

As well as Jane Kelsey's book The NZ Experiment (1995), which I believe was an important source for the first of these docos.

#neoliberalism #Rogernomics #Ruthenasia

"We wanted to make Revolution because we believed that unless we re-run and re-examine our recent history we are in constant danger of forgetting, and forgetting can render us passive about the present and slaves of the future."

#MarciaRussell, 2009, Producer of Revolution, the 4-part 1996 TVNZ series about neoliberal coup of the 1980s/90s.

https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/revolution-1996/series/background/marcia-russell

Full series can be see here;

https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/revolution-1996/series

#neoliberalism #Rogernomics #Ruthenasia

"But, as for many, the sweet taste of social progress turned to ashes in my mouth. An economic crisis became the pretext for an ideological blitzkrieg that tried to impose a commercial model on almost every facet of our nation’s life. Change was needed, but by God we paid the price in terms of poverty, inequality, loss of productive capacity in our firms, and damaged generations. We are still paying."

#PhilTwyford, Maiden speech as Labour MP, 2008

https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/13-06-2024/juggernaut

#Rogernomics