NEW ZEALAND THE MODEL. Dick Weisfelder writes: While New Zealand’s scenery was every bit as spectacular as Chris and I expected, what surprised me most was just how far that country goes in sustaining what Rush Limbaugh might call a “politically correct” agenda, but I consider a green or progressive, set of policies. Here is a list I’ve compiled with some notes.
1) Women currently serving as Prime Minister, Chief Justice and Speaker of Parliament.
2) Mixed member parliamentary elections. Under this system, some members of parliament are elected from individual constituencies as here in the US. The remainder are elected proportionally, so that minor parties that could not win any single constituency still receive representation proportional to their level of national support. This leads to minority groups gaining a legislative voice, but also to the need for coalition governments since no party can get a parliamentary majority.
3) De-emphasizes nationalism and national defense and downsized the military. New Zealand accepts a South Asian role and has troops in Afghanistan, but thoroughly deplores US engagement in Iraq and, especially Australia’s role there. Prime Minister Helen Clark was roundly criticized for receiving Australian Prime Minister Howard.
4) Emphasizes the rights and interest of the Maori “first nation” people and a welcoming position regarding Pacific islanders and Asians.
5) Accepts gays, transvestites and people generally with alternative life styles.
6) Rejects nuclear power. New Zealand withdrew from the ANZUS Pact because it denied nuclear powered ships access to its harbors. It also has no nuclear power plants.
7) Embraces alternative energy, including hydro and geo-thermal power and bio-diesel (made from vegetable oils and animal fats).
8) Rejects any genetically engineered foods.
9) No smoking in any indoor public place; Many hotels charge NZ$200 if smoke is detected, so that room can be taken out of service and completed cleaned.
10) Universal health coverage
11) Zero tolerance for driving after drinking
12) Governors on new busses limiting speeds to 90km (55mph) and seat belt use required on all vehicles
13) No salt used on roads (even precipitous mountain roads with heavy snow and ice cover)
14) No visual pollution in the form of billboards in the countryside
15) Huge areas protected from development
16) New toilets have half flush option
17) Promotion of eco-tourism and healthy outdoor lifestyles
18) Individuals can eat the trout they catch or give it to friends, but none may be sold in stores to protect the resource.
19) Attempts to eliminate environmental damage caused by intrusive alien species. Here’s a really complex one! With no indigenous mammals except bats, New Zealand’s economy has become dependent on alien livestock and its timber industry upon alien plants. But deer and rabbits, introduced by humans, have done enormous damage to indigenous vegetation and possums, brought from Australia, have decimated indigenous bird species by destroying their eggs. The deer have been domesticated and are now exported as venison; possum fur mixed with merino wool makes distinctive New Zealand sweaters. But in wild, mountainous areas where prior deer hunting by helicopter caused many human fatalities, deer and possums are being poisoned with toxic chemicals that cause painful deaths and may endanger water purity.
I should note in closing that the Labour-led coalition that presently governs New Zealand has ended most of the prior subsidies for NZ’s agricultural products and has dramatically lowered tariffs on most imports. In other words, the green/progressive agenda in New Zealand, noted previously, coexists with an embrace of free trade and the dominant neo-liberal economic consensus that the USA actively promotes. One colleague reminded me that the US retains agricultural and other subsidies, contradicting the position it demands of others.
Dick Weisfelder
Americans don’t seem to do a lot of copying from other countries, even if the state governments do serve sometimes as laboratories. I think of New Zealand as a pioneer in introducing free market reforms beginning in the mid eighties (see Wikipedia), but it is rarely cited as an example. I would have questioned proportional representation because I have associated it with governmental paralysis (consider Italy), but this list demonstrates that proportional representation has not prevented New Zealand from taking decisive actions.
Note, Phil, that NZ has a “mixed member” system, meaning that constituencies have their individual members. The proportional component compensates for the distortions caused by the “winner take all” character of the constituency seats, thereby allowing minor parties representation. But the result is the same as you mention – potentially weak coalition governments. Perhaps the key to decisive action is the element of consensus in the shared political culture of a country with only 4.1 million people (and over 40 million sheep!) Dick