Can New Zealand make top ranks of OECD by 2020?

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Fri, 13 Nov 2009 6:42a.m.

Rob Oram and Mark Lowndes

Rob Oram and Mark Lowndes

For some years now we have heard the constant refrain about getting New Zealand back into the top ranks of the OECD by 2020.

Next Wednesday morning a big debate will be held in Auckland at the Stamford Plaza Hotel on whether it is an achievable goal.

As a warm-up for the big debate, business commentator Rod Oram and Mark Lowndes of the legal firm Lowndes Associates, one of the sponsors of the event, talk with ASB Business.
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15 Nov 2009 08:21a.m.

simon wrote:

We have more chance of being the next nation to land a man on the moon.

We were the 3rd ranked nation in the OECD in the 1960's, every decade since we have just gone further down the rankings.

If we are to improve then the way NZ is lead by business and govt has to change and I see no evidence there is any willingness to do that.

As long as Kiwi's expect a champagne lifestyle on a beer income lead by a govt that thinks it can fund that ongoing we are stuffed.

It is really really simple, think of NZ as a family, a family that does not want finacial ruin will only buy the good things in life when it can afford them.

NZ cannot afford to live life as 1st world nation with the business profile of a 3rd world nation.

We basically pull cows teats and make beds for a living, hardly world beating stuff and I see no way of changing that.

Therefore I think it is time NZ faced up to that and started to cut the cloth to match.

An example of that is the fact that our nation's car fleet is Japan's cast offs, thats fine, it is the way NZ must live.

It means that our best and brightest will continue to leave, our business capital will continue to be invested off-shore for best returns etc, there is nothing NZ can do about that.

If the NZ govt continues to try and spend every second dollar Kiwis earn to somehow get us to prosperity all that will be left in this country in 100 years will be the vey poor.