Time to cut through dogma for prosperity

Time was when the Republican Party in the US, my party, took pride in its diversity. The party described itself as a big tent, united mainly by policies of fiscal restraint and of military preparedness in light of the Soviet threat. There were different views on social issues, abortion, civil rights, religious expression, depending on what part of the country the holders of those views hailed from. That's all gone now.

Perhaps US success in world affairs - the downfall of the Soviet empire - had gone to its head. Or, as often happens, the lack of a real external threat led to an internal bloodletting eliminating distinct voices in favour of two: no new taxes and keep Barack Obama from a second term no matter what.

My former party has devolved from a party of healthy debate to one of dogma. As evidence, I offer the vitriol which greeted the US Chief Justice, John Roberts, from his former conservative stalwarts, when he changed his mind, voted with the so-called liberal wing and found that President Obama's health care reform law - itself modelled on Republican proposals - was constitutional.

From poster darling of the right, the Chief Justice found himself reviled by the likes of John Yoo, Bush administration author of memos rationalising and "legalising" torture. Yoo's editorial in the Wall Street Journal suggests retrospectively that the vetting process in 2005, when Roberts was selected, was inadequate. "If a Republican is elected president," wrote Yoo, "he will have to be more careful than the last." That's the response to the relative open-mindedness of Roberts, whose decision, in political terms, can be read as a move to save the reputation and trust in the court, itself.

In New Zealand, the conservative party in government has a similar but more muted presentation. National gives lip service to the notion of debate, to consultation, but it's strictly for show. When it comes to asset sales, John Key acknowledges that nothing - the courts, the marches, referenda - will stop those sales.

To rationalise those sales and its other policies of austerity, National trots out a hyped-up story of a debt that isn't (by international standards) significant.

In the United States, Republicans resist revenue as a means to deal with serious debt because "you can't raise taxes on job creators [read the rich]". In New Zealand, National has been on a campaign of job destruction to make up for its relaxed tax on upper income earners, thus incurring an increase in debt.

It is only a kindly understatement to suggest that the future of Wanganui is not high on this Government's priorities. No matter how many times we are visited by the Prime Minister, his smile extends no further than the shade it casts.

Steadily but surely, jobs in the public sector are drained from our city and, with them, like the death of a thousand cuts, the prosperity we need.

Neither Chester nor Tariana, as ministers in government, have brought any semblance of relief to our bleeding jobs. We must instead rely upon ourselves.

Fortunately, that is not impossible. We have significant assets here to encourage the growth of business. The Whanganui River Institute will shortly be holding a meeting which will feature economic development with our river as its focal point. But we need to do more. And we can.

There are quite a few successful retired or near-retired business people living in our city. We need to re-establish an old boy/old girl network. We need to enlist people across the cultural divisions.

We could, under council auspices, ask these people to use their skills and knowledge and their social networks to help guide effective policies to attract new business and enhance the ones here struggling to succeed. It's in everyone's interest who lives and values this city to enhance its prosperity.

It may take different political clout than now exists. It will certainly take concerted effort, but it's unquestionably within our combined capability.

All it will really take is the will.