The Government makes their mark!

I was very interested to read the effects that neoliberalism had on New Zealand in the early 1980's. I had heard the term used before, but without really understanding what it meant. The Oxford Dictionary ( Stevenson & Waite, 2011) describes the word Neo- Liberal as "denoting a modified form of liberalism, tending to favour free- market capitalism". To me this definition, made sense as to what the Labour Government did at the time.
Neoliberalism came about after the 1984 Labour Government, led by David Lange, introduced radical social and economic reforms. 

This example of what happened around this time seemed to come from an authoritarianism type of leadership. (This is where a follow the leader type of dictatorship emerges). At the time this was, and still is referred to as Rogernomics.  Easton (1997), explains that the economic reforms of the 80’s were not overly supported by the majority of economists but rather from a “small group within Treasury and the Reserve Bank developed a set of ideas and analysis, which was then imposed on the rest of the government economists, and ultimately the nation (Easton, 1997). 

These policies had devastating implications for New Zealanders,as steady wealth transferred to overseas corporations. ( Museum of Nnew Zealand Te Papa Tongaewa n.d.). These effects are still being felt today, as we see state owned assets in the hands of off shore companies. The idea of charter schools is another example of a neoliberal approach on decision making, affecting all New Zealanders.  

 

Reference list

Bramhall, S. (2010). Uncensored Updates on World Events, Economics, the Environment and Medicine. Retreived fromhttp://stuartbramhall.aegauthorblogs.com/2010/01/26/in-new-zealand-they-call-it-rogernomics/
 

Easton, B. (1997). The relevance of Rogernomics. Retrieved from. http://www.eastonbh.ac.nz/1997/11/the_relevance_of_rogernomics/

 

Musuem of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/WhatsOn/exhibitions/SliceofHeaven/Exhibition/SocialWelfare/Pages/Rogernomics.aspx

Stevenson, A., Waite, M. (EDs.)  (2011). Concise Oxford Dictionary. Oxford  New York.Oxford University Press.

 

 

 

 

 

Social Welfare: Beneficiaries in Society.

Kaiora everyone. My topic is about the Social Welfare system in New Zealand. I am looking at beneficiaries in society and how they are portrayed. This, in my opinion, is a huge social topic as there will, it seems always be a divide in how society feels about people on benefits. To narrow the topic of beneficiaries down I have chosen to focus on sole parents on the Domestic Purposes Benefit. I am interested in the recent Government initiative of making it compulsory for children of beneficiaries to attend ECE for at least 15 hours per week. How will they make this work I wonder? I do wonder why the free choice of whether you actually want your child to attend early childhood education or not could be taken away simply because you are a beneficiary! The Government’s initiatives in this area have not always been welcomed with open arms. I for one sometimes wonder who they are actually considering when they release these policies. It does appear that in many cases the children are the ones that lose out in this forever competitive world of politics! I am looking forward to reading into further how beneficiaries are portrayed in society and if some of the policies that Government have implemented or are considering implementing are going to have a positive or negative effect on how beneficiaries go about making their place in society.