Surfers Paradise Meeting
The executive of the APDY met informally during the Young Liberal National Convention at Surfers Paradise in Australia. Observers from member parties were welcome to join us and also to participate in the National Convention of the Young Liberal Movement of Australia. The programme and other details are reproduced below.
Programme
Wednesday 5 January
Welcoming Cocktail Party, hosted by the President of the Queensland Division of the Young Liberals.
Thursday 6 January
Australian Liberal Party Federal President Shane Stone opens Young Liberal Convention.
Full day of Young Liberal Convention sessions.
Full Seafood Buffet Lunch.
Guest Speaker - to be advised.
Evening to discover the Gold Coast's great restaurants and famous nightlife.
Friday 7 January
Full day of Young Liberal Convention sessions.
Two Guest Speakers - to be advised.
Full Seafood Buffet Lunch.
Patrons' Dinner (3 course meal overlooking Gold Coast).
Saturday 8 January
Morning: Young Liberal Federal Council Annual General Meeting.
Afternoon: Informal planning meeting of the Asia Pacific Democrat Youth executive. Agenda issues include: website development; new member parties; the next Convention; sponsorship.
Twilight Hawaiian Beach Party by the Gold Coast International's Sunken Pool Bar.
Sunday 9 January
Check-out. Visitors may wish to see other Gold Gold attractions such as the theme parks (Movie World, Seaworld, Dreamworld), or just lie on the beach.
Packages
Live-In Package ($495) - includes four nights twin share accommodation (5,6, 7 & 8 January), all functions and all benefits of being a guest of the five-star Gold Coast International Hotel. Full use of pool, spa, sauna, sunken pool bar, gym and tennis courts.
Live-Out Package ($250) - includes all morning teas, lunches, the Cocktail Party, Patron's Dinner and Beach Party.
Speech to Convention
by Daniel Gordon, Young National Chairman
The New Zealand Political Experience in 1999 (Daniel Gordon)
On the 27th of November 1999, New Zealanders voted for a change in government.
National had been in power for nine years and the left campaigned strongly on the notion "Its time for a change".
After you have been in Government for a prolonged period of time it is hard to sell to your constituency benefits of your policies that they now take for granted. We also had a media intent on installing a new government.
This is a message that you Liberals need to think carefully about as you approach your next election. The incumbent cannot necessarily set the agenda -- events can take over, and the time for a change mentality does not take long to set in. And the whining 'its all your fault' left wing are very good at capturing that middle 20% of voters who don't really have a great preference either way.
However, it is my view that our new left leaning Government is not going to be the most stable. They are reliant on the Greens for confidence and supply, and are a minority coalition without them.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. The Green MPs are a diverse bunch -- they include veteran protestor Sue Bradford, who had to have her Parliamentary trespass order revoked once it became obvious she was going to be an MP -- a rastafarian dope-smoking justice spokesperson who thinks he is Gandhi.
So far the Greens have provided much entertainment. They have spoken out on everything. They don't like motorways, genetically modified food, or firewood.
So, yes, parliament is proving to be an interesting place. And its only been sitting for a week.
But let me just outline to you what it is that National has to worry about with a left leaning coalition that relies on a man who thinks he is Gandhi.
It is no secret that National has left the country in a very good shape. Lets see what we have done.
The Employment Contracts Act - This was passed by National in 1991 and has led to better workplace relations between employers and employees in New Zealand. It also gave New Zealand workers the choice to stay with a Union or opt for an individual contract with their employer. 75% of New Zealanders favoured the latter.
Just weeks into a left wing coalition and we have already seen pickets at one of the nations major ports, with union threats it could go nation-wide. It is important to note that Government MPs, even the Deputy PM supported the picket.
Why? Whether it was the pies or the showers that were too cold nobody knows, but yes the nation's wharfies are at it again. And there is more of this to come I am afraid, with Labour promising to repeal the Employment Contracts Act and give more power to the unions, all because in their philosophical view Nationals legislation is evil and bad.
After all this evil legislation has only created 700 new jobs a week - and meant we have consistently had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the OECD.
National lowered taxes to real working New Zealanders. Labour have already raised the top tax rate to near 40%, which will no doubt see capital investment flee out of New Zealand before too long.
At the same time we also increased social spending. We reduced dependency on the state and saw unemployment reduced to 6.5% - consistently lower than the unemployment rate in Australia
In our time in Government we created on average 700 new jobs per week. Labour on the other hand lost 500 jobs a week in their last term. Although I don't think it will be quite so bad this time, as there are plenty of jobs in the promised 'Peoples Bank'. The Peoples Bank will have no bank fees, friendly staff, no queues and you will be able to talk to a real teller. Young Nationals are looking forward to the Peoples Bank, and we will be opening up an account as soon as we can.
And Carl Bates here is going to pay no interest on his student loan when he goes to university this year. So we figure that Carl's free loan, and no Bank fees at the Peoples Bank, we can invest more of Young Nationals money on the sharemarket.
Anyway, we also opened the accident compensation system, formerly a government run monopoly, to the private sector for competition. This has led to millions of dollars of savings in terms of compliance costs to businesses. Labour have just introduced legislation to restore the state-run monopoly. So not only will there be a Peoples Bank, Peoples Airport, and Peoples TV station, but also a Peoples Insurance Company.
Too bad that the New Zealand insurance industry has embraced this new found competition and delivered lower workplace accident insurance costs to businesses, no no Helen knows best - we will have a state run insurance company.
Our Party also took the bold step of finally settling Treaty grievances with Maori in New Zealand. This was not a popular choice but done because it was the right choice. It was not just about settling a grievance with cash - but for the Crown to acknowledge a wrongdoing - make a formal apology - and for both peoples in New Zealand to move on. I think to a large part this has been achieved - it is not perfect - but then we haven't finished the task.
A left leaning government that's fond of Peoples Banks, Peoples TV stations, and Peoples Insurance Companies can do all of this and more. But it can also be undone very quickly should it all turn disastrous.
I note that the Australian government has recently experienced difficulty in passing the GST through the Senate. A problem such as this, in New Zealand would have been sorted out further back in the policy development process.
On the subject of GST I thought I would make a few comments given it is topical in this country at the moment.
New Zealand passed GST legislation to the surprise of all New Zealanders in 1986 in a package of reforms. This particular piece of legislation was passed and was up to that point unannounced and unexpected - I guess this can happen only when you have a single chamber and you don't have the scrutiny of an upper house.
The reaction of the business community was not extreme and neither was the publics. The original rate was set at 10% and later raised to 12.5%. The acceptance of GST was I guess because it was regarded as fair and across the board.
To reflect on your GST. As it stands - with all the exceptions to where it will and will not apply - I do not think its effect will be as far reaching as it is intended. This will possibly inhibit the changes that your Government want to see happen to the tax law. The other thing your legislation will do is make it harder for business and increase compliance costs - something that I understand it was not supposed to do.
In any issue regarding tax - my view is keep it simple - otherwise there will be a backlash.
National promised continued tax cuts to middle income New Zealanders at this most recent election, and we will do so again. No country in the western world is raising income taxes right now, except us, and it is pleasing that in Australia there are moves to more direct taxes like GST - which National believes is a fairer and more effective taxation system.
I am confident that with a high-taxing, high-spending Labour Green Alliance coalition, taxation is going to become a defining difference between them and us.
I have been impressed at the courage of the Howard Liberal Government as it has developed the GST policy, and wish you all the best with its implementation this year.
Delegates, New Zealand did vote for a change last year. The New Zealand National Party will be back. We have a strong leader in Jenny Shipley who will ensure we are an effective but short term opposition.
Thank-you for the opportunity to address this conference today.