published in the National Business Review 21 May 2004
Even as the ACT party with its policies of lower taxes, structural adjustment, and welfare reform shrinks in political appeal, another group is rising up to fight for reform and prosperity.

Parties for Growth, a self proclaimed non-partisan group "of ordinary New Zealanders who share a common desire to return our country to the top of the OECD growth table", is quietly building a support base among the business and political classes, as well as among "ordinary New Zealanders who care."

The group includes former National Party cabinet minister, Hugh Templeton. Other leading players are Roy Savage, a retired businessman, who made his money through the New Zealand Safety Group, and Charles Gilmore, an New Zealand/American business executive, formerly behind Clear, but now the driving force of infrastructure company IndeServe.

Phil Scott, who led the IT contacting group formerly known as JP Scott & Associates, is the chief executive.

According to the group's brochure, New Zealand's ailing fortunes can be revived through:

Government policies fostering economic growth
A public interested in contributing to their effective implementation, and
A programme to continuously educate all citizens on the importance of above average GDP per capital results.
"We are dedicated to...supporting politicians, policies and action that will improve our economy at a minimum growth rate of five per cent per capita per annum.

In the few months since its inception, Parties for Growth has become incorporated, formed a steering group, elected a President, appointed a Chief Executive, set up a website and produced a brochure and its small core of members are selling the message in face to face meetings, and by email and mail outs.

Although the group makes the point that it is not affiliated to any political party, and according to Phil Scott, "is not going to become the cheerleader for any party", it is keen to support "individual candidates who are sympathetic to our views and could make a difference by being in Parliament"

Parties for Growth will also campaign for certain pro-growth policies to be adopted, and seek to build a climate of public opinion that supports those policies.

"We are a not a think tank, and we don't want just to be involved in churning out well reasoned policy pieces. We actually want to make a tangible difference to political outcomes, and do so quickly," explains Scott.

Some of the pro-growth policies have a familiar sound: a welfare system that is "just a safety net"; a labour market "where businesses can organize their operations at peak efficiency"; a tax system that "will not increasingly erode take home pay"; and a "relatively low cost regulatory environment."

The group is keen to identify and support pro-growth candidates, and aspires to be a fundraiser and spender on behalf of those candidates, as similar pro-growth groups do in the United States.

In New Zealand the Electoral Act places some constraints on US style "political action committees", but Scott still sees a role for Parties for Growth.

"Our number one aim between now and the next election is to make growth and prosperity election issues. New Zealand is slipping down the table of international living standards, by one place every eighteen months. We are heading for the third world, and it's time for people to say that enough is enough. We have to have policies that will halt the slide, reverse it and push us back up into the top half of the OECD."

That means the economy has to grow at five percent per head per year for at least ten years, faster than our trading partners. If we do nothing, our children will ask why we let this happen, why we didn't try."

www.partiesforgrowth.org.nz. Phil Scott 04 972 4365.
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