Yin Shui Si Yuan (????) or “when you drink from a stream, remember the source” – the Chinese proverb got me thinking about the state of the Chinese Community and wider communities in New Zealand.
Certainly that kind of mood was apparent among some of the 900 or so guests celebrating the Chinese New Year (falls on 14 February this year) at TelstraClear Pacific Centre in Manukau on Friday 5 February.
Surely, Minster for Ethnic Affairs Hon Pansy Wong had every right to praise her Government for boosting our country’s profile in China which culminated in Prime Minister John Key’s visit to China last April. The crowd cheered when she announced that “six Prime Ministers are going to Shanghai Expo in May”. But the excitement quickly died down when her slip of the tongue became obvious after she said the six Prime Ministers would include herself – she was meant to say six ministers.
Again, her Government had every reason to celebrate in that context because the value of our exports to China over the year ended June 2009 increased by 62% following a Free Trade Agreement with China. That is to say our exporters, our economy and certainly our Chinese counterparts have reaped the benefits of this deal.
Who took the initiatives? Labour. Who signed the FTA? Then Trade Minister and now Leader of the Labour Party, Hon Phil Goff.
In much the same vein, we should acknowledge that New Zealand has come through the recession largely because of the legacy of Labour’s prudent fiscal policies that dramatically reduced Crown debt. Another factor was the last Labour Budget which provided stimulus to counteract the international downturn.
What? Pansy struggling to grasp the English language? No way?
The recession isn’t over yet, Raymond …
@ Bondy says: “What? Pansy struggling to grasp the English language? No way?”
Don’t get me wrong Bondy. It’s mean for anyone, particuarly me, to say that. What I meant to say was to emphasize that Hon Pansy Wong was very excited and praising her Government for whatever it had achieved in that context. That piece of comment was quoted just to show that. Nothing in a linguistic sense or personal.
@ Paul says: “The recession isn’t over yet, Raymond.”
You are right Paul but we were told at the end of last year that the recession was officially over.
That’s why I feel sorry for families who were told before Christmas the recession was over, but who now find, after Chrismas, that unemployment rates worse than ever (PI: 14%, Maori: 15.4%, Asian: 9.2%)
Why can’t I post here?
Because you got a one week ban on Friday for being off thread and abuse Trevor
What planet are you on Raymomd…? We got thru the recession…you may have but here in ChCh I am surrounded by unemployed people..hopeless young people , stressed out older men , grim families..A lovely , very intelligent man who was at our home last night is likely to lose his home….Down here we don’t even have any hope of getting through the depression.
No Chinese New Year celebrations for us. It’s variations on cabbage soup.