Issue 420, August 1, 2019
Finance Minister Grant Robertson brought a new dimension to Good Governance at the Ninth Annual Indian Newslink Lecture on Monday, July 29, 2019 in Auckland.
“Good Governance is about more than managing money carefully and investing wisely. Good Governance is also about how we govern,” he said in his Address.
We have always believed that Good Governance-corporate, social and even individual- should not be measured only in terms of financial accrual but in real terms of the benefits delivered to the people. For, it is the right of every person to be successful and expect that opportunities are made available to achieve success.
Chance to Succeed
Mr Robertson made a point of that concept, while emphasising the meaning of Wellbeing.
“A government does not dictate a person’s wellbeing, but if we truly believe in people and their capabilities and put wellbeing at the core of what we do, then we will give every New Zealander the chance to succeed. That to me, is good government and good governance.”
There are a few attributes- a few ‘givens’ that every government, regardless of its composition of political parties enjoy in New Zealand. They are, the Rule of Law, Corruption-free systems and procedures, Ease of doing business and the openness of the government.
The ironies
He questioned the claim of ‘Rockstar Economy.’
“How could we be declaring success when homelessness and child poverty were rising, where our lakes and our rivers were getting more and more polluted, where our rates of suicide and mental distress were increasing, where the gap between the wealthy and the rest was growing ever faster?” he asked.
Like all of us, Mr Robertson believes in the power of people to transform their lives.
A government does not dictate a person’s wellbeing, but if we truly believe in people and their capabilities and put wellbeing at the core of what we do, then we will give every New Zealander the chance to succeed.
That, he said, is good government and good governance.
