Growth Group Springs Up

Posted Wed, 21/07/2004 - 1:00am by admin

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."

Muldoon and Louis XVI: The Bastille Day Parallels

Posted Fri, 16/07/2004 - 1:00am by admin

Published in the National Business Review of 16 July 2004
Is Bastille Day 1984 worth remembering? Only if you value economic and personal freedom, and an end to dominant government, largely controlled by one despotic figure.

For the historically minded, July 14 1789 was the day that the citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille, a royal prison in Paris, marking what the world now regards as the beginning of the French Revolution.

Four days that changed a nation

Posted Fri, 16/07/2004 - 1:00am by admin

Published in the National Business Review of 16 July 2004
On the morning of Saturday 14 July 1984, I woke to a telephone call from Rob Muldoon's press secretary Sef Hao'uli to say that the PM was holding a media conference at 9 o'clock that morning.

Petone battle shows RMA Flaws

Posted Fri, 09/07/2004 - 1:00am by admin

Published in the National Business Review of 9 July 2004
Out in the eastern corner of Petone is the unremarkable Heretaunga Street. Not to be confused with the suburb of Heretaunga, which is in Upper Hutt and has a rather better social cachet to it.

This Heretaunga Street is a mixture of early 20th century cottages painted in a pastiche of late Victoriana colours, and dull 1930's, 1940's bungalows. An ordinary and unremarkable suburban street enlivened only by the car upholstery business on the corner and the Brahma Kumari Yoga Centre opposite.

How do you market economic growth?

Posted Thu, 10/06/2004 - 1:00am by admin

Published in the New Zealand Herald on 10 June 2004
After all who's opposed to it - at least in principle? New Zealanders generally think economic growth is a good thing.

Certainly we need it. As a country we have been growing slowly than most other developed economies and our standard of living is falling behind relative to others like Australia, Canada, Singapore, and most of Europe.

Engineers get modest endorsement for growth plan

Posted Fri, 04/06/2004 - 1:00am by admin

Published in the National Business Review 4 June 2004
The engineers' growth plan for the nation has gained only modest and qualified endorsement from the commentators nominated by the engineers' professional body IPENZ

The "Growing Smartly" report from IPENZ reviews NZ's growth prospects ten years after the reforms of science funding and a year or so after the launch of the government's Growth and Innovation framework and the merger of Industry NZ and Tradenz.

Smacking saga shows PC policy backoff

Posted Wed, 02/06/2004 - 1:00am by admin

Published in the National Business Review of 2 July 2004
Those who see Helen Clark's government as poll driven and as willing to sacrifice principles for expediency will find support in the saga of the government's anti-smacking campaign.

The initiative, now known as SKIP - Strategies for Kids; Information for Parents, is a pale shadow of the vigorous multi million dollar television driven advertising campaign being planned last year to persuade Kiwis not to smack their kids.

Oh how I'd like to serve under Don Brash

Posted Fri, 28/05/2004 - 1:00am by admin

Published in the NBR of 28 May
John Bishop

One thing all four contenders for the leadership of the ACT party agree on is that they would just love to serve under Don Brash in a Brash led government.

They also agree that having to sit at the same cabinet table with Winston Peters is unacceptable. At the Wellington candidates meeting, Peters was variously described as 'a flawed politician','unprincipled', 'unable to be a team player', and akin to a 'Shakespearian tragic hero'

Let's Get a Prosperity Culture

Posted Fri, 28/05/2004 - 1:00am by admin

Published in the NBR of 28 May 2004
New Zealand is living in a misty complacency that our economic situation is improving and that "it's alright here".

The truth is that since 1951, and more particularly since 1973, New Zealand's standard of living relative to other countries has fallen consistently and continues to fall.

Energy Minister Pete Hodgson told a conference recently, "I was born 52 years ago in a country whose living standard was the third highest in the world. Now I live in a country that is 25th."

Are you a one person brand?

Posted Thu, 27/05/2004 - 1:00am by admin

Published in the New Zealand herald 27 May 2004
If you are, are you doing all that you can to build value into that brand?

Of course you're working hard, providing good service and good value, and trying to grow the business.

But are you looking hard enough at you and how you present to the market? My advice based on ten years experience as a sole trader is that you are always your own brand.

The issue then is how well you manage, protect and promote yourself.