It's what you do with potential that counts

BY JOHN KEY

OPINION: In asking for your votes in the 2008 election I promised to lead a government that would deliver a brighter future for this country.

One year on there are two questions I'm often asked: What will a brighter future for New Zealand really look like and how will the Government make sure we achieve it?

I think the best way to picture a brighter future is through the eyes of an everyday Kiwi family.

Most Kiwis love this country but they sense that things could be much better. To secure a brighter future, the Government must address their concerns and hopes.

Kiwis worry about balancing the household budget, and whether their wages will keep up with the rising cost of living. They aspire to secure, well-paid jobs and better living standards.

They are concerned for their children's futures. Are they getting a good enough education? Will they choose to live here or will they instead take a better paid job somewhere else in the world?

Kiwis care about the quality of government services available to them and their fellow New Zealanders. They want a health system they can rely on to provide for them and their loved ones.

They hope for a society that protects its vulnerable members and that addresses the causes and effects of crime. They want stronger families and better opportunities for Kiwis from all walks of life.

My Government has set about addressing these concerns and realising these aspirations step by step, policy by policy. We've cut taxes, upped the number of police on the beat, increased the amount of elective surgery being performed, introduced national standards in literacy and numeracy, accelerated new roading projects (not to mention a national cycleway), and provided support to small businesses hit by the recession.

I could go on listing. But what's really important is the big-picture ambition that connects the daily decisions this Government makes.

My driving goal is to accelerate the growth of our economy, so that New Zealand is a wealthier country capable of providing well-paid jobs and a better standard of living to all, as well as the world- class government services needed to provide security and strength to Kiwi families.

Realising this vision requires a step- change in this country's economic performance.

Can it be done? There's no doubt in my mind. New Zealand has everything it takes to be a world-beating country. We are one of the best food-producing nations, with a temperate climate and abundant fresh water; we're blessed with beautiful scenery that tourists love to visit; we're located in this century's economic powerhouse region - Asia - and we are home to some of the smartest, hardest-working and most creative people in the world.

But potential alone is never enough. It's what you do with your potential that really counts. And the reality is that in recent times New Zealand has fallen further and further behind the countries we like to compare ourselves with, including Australia.

Our story has been one of missed opportunities. In simple terms, our exports to other countries haven't grown fast enough and too few businesses and entrepreneurs have chosen to stay and grow in New Zealand.

Despite working some of the longest hours in the developed world, New Zealanders haven't experienced the increases in incomes they deserve.

Too often government policies and actions have held Kiwis back.

So my mission is to remove the barriers that are getting in the way of growth, to encourage Kiwi businesses and workers to make the very most of their opportunities here in New Zealand and to unlock the great potential of this country.

I want to see our farmers and exporters producing more and fetching better prices for their goods overseas.

I want to see our tourism industry growing, and attracting bigger-spending tourists all year round.

I want to see more of our smart Kiwi entrepreneurs selling their goods and ideas to the world so they can expand their businesses and provide new and better paying jobs to New Zealanders. I want to see more of our talented young people realising their ambitions at home rather than overseas.

I've tasked my Government ministers with working on the key drivers needed to make this happen. They are about:

Ensuring our tax system encourages people to work hard, save and invest in productive Kiwi businesses.

Focusing the Government's considerable share of economic activity on better, smarter frontline services, rather than waste and backroom bureaucracy;

Providing all New Zealanders with the education and skills they need to perform productive well-paid jobs;

Building the transport, broadband, and other infrastructure networks that people and businesses need to get their jobs done as efficiently as possible;

Removing the red tape and cumbersome regulation that can prevent businesses from expanding, taking on new workers and making the most of new ideas;

Supporting Kiwi firms to grow and develop new ideas by connecting them with our smartest researchers and scientists, and helping them reach more global consumers by signing free trade agreements with our trading partners.

These policy drivers involve hard work across a range of areas. There is no one silver bullet that will kick-start our growth engine.

Neither do New Zealanders need or want the Government to embark on a hugely radical, disruptive policy-agenda.

Instead, what this country needs is a government that backs New Zealanders to back themselves. That is what my Government is all about.

I am optimistic about the progress New Zealand will make in an increasingly globalised and competitive world.

My optimism is based on our strengths and future prospects, and it's based on what I see in my fellow Kiwis - their generous spirits, their can-do attitudes, their entrepreneurial spirit and their drive.

Together we will make an economic step-change and realise the brighter future this country deserves.

- © Fairfax NZ News