My Right

Anderton's response on behalf of the Government was to tell businessmen that they don't know how lucky they are. After 16 quarters of consecutive growth, business has never had it so good, he declared. New Zealanders, he believes, have got themselves into a culture of failure and negativism. Anderton has a point, or half of one. The economy is undeniably flourishing. There is a shortage of skilled and semi-skilled labour. The unfortunate Electrolux workers are going on to a market as much in their favour as it has been for 25 years and they should be able to get new jobs quite quickly.

But for all the success of the economy, there remains a nagging feeling that an opportunity to do much better while conditions are so favourable is being lost. Business complaints that development is being handicapped by environmental regulation, employment laws, taxes and so on may be familiar, but that does not necessarily make them invalid.

Anderton's impatient comments reflect a worrying attitude at the heart of the Government. The Minister would be better advised if he listened to what he is being told rather than reacting irritably. He might like to consider, for instance, why the buoyancy in the economy has been predominantly in farming (where good export prices are a large factor) and consumer spending, and little in the kind of development that will produce high sustainable growth in the future.

Electrolux will not have decided to transfer its manufacturing to Australia on a whim. If political attitudes to business have played a role, Anderton should be trying to do something about it, rather than indulging himself in tetchy petulance.