With the New Zealand 2023 General Election taking place very soon and voting now open both abroad and at home, October 14 could offer New Zealanders the chance to change the tragic course of the country.

With equality being proposed by all political parties on either side of the ditch, it seems prudent and ironic to wonder what each’s definitions of equality and opportunity consist of.

Freedom and equality, it cannot be debated, refer to opportunities available to all and our access to basic services, such as essential infrastructure, a safe and fair legislative framework, healthcare and, in order to create all of the above, an excellent education system.

Unfortunately, however, this traditionally innovative and optimistic country has been plagued with struggles since the start of the pandemic, many of which have become temporarily ingrained within its system. The attempt made to implement a form of splendid isolation sadly ended up being anarchist.

Earlier this year, the IMF ranked New Zealand’s GDP growth as the second worst in the world, 159th out of 160 nations, second to Equatorial Guinea.

The recession that New Zealand did not need to have is a mere reflection of the embouteillage of debt that has been caused by disastrous monetary and fiscal policy, both of which have left the island devastated over the past 6 years.

A landslide of spending ensued after the pandemic began, as occurred in most countries.

However, why New Zealand fell into a recession when its neighbours and almost the rest of the world have ended up avoiding one, seems only to reflect poor economic management by the New Zealand Labour Party.

What has happened to the first-world nation of New Zealand?

With inflation predicted to last until 2025, someone needs to pull New Zealand’s socks up and get the economy into gear.

Basic Western standards, such as access to healthcare and essential infrastructure, have been neglected over the last two terms of government and replaced by truancy, crime, and a lack of foresight. It is baffling, to say the least.

School attendance rates were even under 60 per cent in Term 1 of the academic year and lockdowns had finished well before then.

Whatever happened to the duty of care?

The agricultural and tourism sectors have nosedived too. Yet I need say no more.

New Zealand opened for business early last year, yet sadly the damage had been done.

Voting is open, however.

I have already cast my vote.

‘The basic premise of the democratic sort of regime is freedom.’ – Aristotle.