Wait till an economic downturn arrives, and people are keen to hone their skills so they can get back into the workforce. Then slash adult & community education (“night school”), even though it is known to be a highly efficient use of taxpayer money.
When pushed on the logic of the decision, cry poor saying that “savings had to be made somewhere”.
Then rub salt in by substantially increasing funding to private schools at the same time.
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NZ oil consumption approx 160.000 Barrels a day. That is predicted to drop to 100,000 barrels withing approx 5 years and continue falling.
The shock is coming and Govt is stuffing around with business as usual selectively cutting to “balance budgets” of increasing debt while cutting taxes selectively to its mates.
Totally ignoring the inevitable crashes predicted by numerous reputable scientific bodies. Even Oil company figures recognise what lies ahead in spite of the spin used to regulate public reaction and keep share markets afloat.
Our short window of preparation is being ignored by economist who cannot get off more of the same. That unsustainable track has driven us into the mess we will experience. It is beyond economist cosmology.
Our food production and distribution is very oil intensive. This continues at our peril.
Instead of closing down adult education it should be expanded to reequip the population with skills and knowledge to build a post industrial economy that looms ahead.
Our food production for export is not where we will need emphasis. Local supply will be increasingly difficult. Feeding our population with reduced oil available, will mean very big changes and many will go without.
It will take years to meet the changes needed and the sooner planing and public awareness is got underway the less damage and loss will occur.
The present recession may not “correct” and certainly long term things won’t “come right”.
Growth has limits and we have left peak oil some time ago. Growth is based on a supply of abundant transportable energy which has been oil. No replacement is apparent. Oil supply is decreasing and demand is rising worldwide. Our economy is highly geared and takes little to trigger collapse in the money market.
Self reliance is the way forward. Decentralising population is expected to be a fall back strategy. We do not live in cities and town that are sustainable with present energy use and future options available.
Keeping up with the trivia is largely a waste of time.
The big issues are not being talked about.
“You haven’t previously said that you favour selling Air NZ off, glad to now know where you stand. Sometimes it takes a bit of work to out an asset sales fan.”
I have actually but maybe you didn’t read that thread… I’m in favour of selling assets that over the next few decades will be worth nothing, I’m in favour of buying assets when it makes sense – like buying back Contact and reconstituting Electricorp… I attempt to let common sense dictate not blind ideological rantings…
Air NZ worth $5,000,000,000 anytime soon, perhaps ever..? Lol, It’s hilarious you have the hubris to call me a amatuer…
Fisiani
The private school growth from mid 19th Century was sectarian, ideologically driven and so inefficient that the 1977 act had was wrought by competing factions to make a state school system that was free, compulsory and secular.
We were world leaders in this move and the fabric of NZ society has minimal divisions as a result. When kids grow up together they learn a lot about living with others that can’t be taught any other way.
Private Schools are now proliferating on appeal of separate up bringing and class privilege, snob appeal or white flight, brown brotherhood, ethnic or religious purity.
Nothing new in that but the system of private schools broke down with its funding inefficiency and factionalisation of the growing community.
State education with the free, compulsory and secular character is a core institution of our society. Its cost is not a measure of worth to our NZ community.
With migrant population increase the state system is more important than ever.
Whoops 1877 education Act ( 1977 typo)