Editorial: A better year as a matter of opinion

Opinion

The daily editorial used to be the only column of a newspaper that offered an opinion on the issues and events it reported. These days, many columns offer opinions of all sorts from commentators invited to share their thoughts. But the editorial survives as the only view that stands in the name of the newspaper, claiming no greater authority than any other but engaging the paper in the conversations of its community.

This year, the subjects of national and local discussion have been more upbeat than we expected this time last year, when we reflected on a year in recession. The financial crisis that gripped the world last Christmas brought predictions of a second Great Depression. But the extraordinary measures being taken by governments of the leading economies at that time were to be more quickly effective than we, or anyone, dared hope.

By March, the recession was giving way to slight recovery - 0.2 per cent growth was reported last week for each of the quarters to June and September. We criticised the new Government's Budget in May for making no more than a dent in the decade of deficits and rising public debt that are the legacy of fiscal stimulants everywhere.

Perhaps that was unfair; the Budget satisfied credit-rating agencies with its promise of economies in 2010. But we advocated taxes and savings in places that the Government fears to tread. We think it regrettable the Prime Minister has ruled out an increase in the age of entitlement for national superannuation, for example, and is reluctant to restrict health and welfare benefits to those who really need them.

But we praised his "Job Summit" initiatives and infrastructure boosts that will upgrade the broadband network and complete Auckland's western ring route with a Waterview connection. The year also saw the opening of the Northern Gateway toll road, which we welcomed, and a start to a tunnel under Victoria Park, which we called an extravagance.

We saw no urgency for a second harbour crossing and did not support a campaign for a cycleway on the bridge, though we regretted the bridge could not have been opened to walkers for its 50th birthday in April.

We supported the Maori Party's desire for a Maori flag to be flown from the bridge on Waitangi Day and for the consideration of customary claims to foreshore and seabed. We suggested a memorial to Sir Edmund Hillary on Mt Hobson, urged the removal of unsightly sheds from Queens Wharf and opposed a hasty redesign for the Rugby World Cup 2011.

We kept a critical eye on the plan for a single city to unite Auckland at next year's municipal elections. The plan evolved in three legislative stages during the year, constituting a strong mayoralty, a 20-seat council elected from wards and subsidiary boards that we hope will preserve local government.

On global issues, we supported the re-commitment of New Zealand troops to Afghanistan, urged the Government to accept the Labour Party's offer of a bipartisan response to climate change and argued for an all-gases emissions trading scheme that could operate internationally and give investors clear directions for the future. But those hopes would have been dashed at Copenhagen anyway.

Every year brings debates that deserve to be forgotten - Whanganui, Christine Rankin, Hone Harawira's language, the smacking referendum - and events that dominate discussion then quickly fade: recession, swine flu, tsunami. This year, it was good to have a recovery to discuss. It is the last year of a decade that deserves to be remembered less for the crisis of late 2008 than the long prosperity preceding it. At least that is our opinion for what it is worth.