1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,320 Speaker 1: Oh, you know what today is, don't you. Well, as 2 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 1: you probably you don't. You're not enough of a nerd. 3 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: Let me tell you. Today is forty years to the 4 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: day since Rob Muldoon called the snap election, which then 5 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:11,479 Speaker 1: of course led to his defeat, which then of course 6 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: led to the incoming Labor government realized we were nearly 7 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 1: broke as a country, which then lead to them embarking 8 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: on the most amazing set of reforms, which they do 9 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: not get enough credit for to this day and get 10 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: way too much grief for it is a really interesting 11 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: anniversary for us to mark right now, as we find 12 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: ourselves in a recession that feels like the worst that 13 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 1: many of us have ever experienced, as we watch old 14 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: names in New Zealand like Smith and Coe give up, 15 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: as we see projections that the country's debt will just 16 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: keep growing. Because today Roger Douglas well, of course, one 17 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: of the primary architect of those reforms back in nineteen 18 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: eighty four. Today, Roger Douglass has given an interview saying 19 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: we are as in as much trouble today as we 20 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: were back in nineteen eighty four. By the way, if 21 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:00,639 Speaker 1: you ask why is Roger Douglas piping up again day 22 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: the man. You cannotop the man. He's still pouring over 23 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:06,680 Speaker 1: all the government financials, still publishing his ideas, still calling journalists, 24 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 1: you know, to tell us what he thinks is going 25 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: wrong with the country. And in this particular interview, he 26 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: points to a treasury paper containing long term fiscal projections, 27 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:17,320 Speaker 1: and he says, if we carry on spending the way 28 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:19,759 Speaker 1: that we are, if you look at this paper, what's 29 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 1: going on in there, we're going to go broke. In particular, 30 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: what he's worried about is the projections for the cost 31 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,319 Speaker 1: explosion that's coming in healthcare, the pension, education, and the 32 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: cost of paying for the debt that we're racking up. 33 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: He points to health specifically. He says, it's currently seven 34 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 1: percent of GDP. In thirty five years, many of us 35 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: will still be alive by that time, it will be 36 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: eleven percent. Now, that is just health, never mind the pension, 37 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:46,759 Speaker 1: never mind education, never mind the cost of the debt. 38 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: And he is worried that the debt is going to 39 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: blow out in this country. And he's right to be 40 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: worried about it, because if you just look at the 41 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: budget documents that were published last month that debt shows 42 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: no sign of going anywhere other than up. It just 43 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: gets burger and burger and bigger every single year. Now, 44 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: you tell me that he's wrong, and I'm not being 45 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: miserable about it. I just want to be realistic about it. 46 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: You tell me that you disagree with him, that we 47 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: are in the same position that we were in nineteen 48 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: ninety four. Our country is in a structural deficit at 49 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 1: the moment. It means that we spend more every single 50 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 1: year than we earn as a country. Our infrastructure is 51 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: getting old. Everything is going backwards, from crime to the 52 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 1: education system. We are tied up in red tape and 53 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: dumb rules in this country. So he's right, isn't he. 54 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: So here's hoping the country and the government have the 55 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: intelligence and the courage to do some radical things to 56 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: fix this, just like the government that came in forty 57 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: years ago. For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen 58 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 1: live to News Talk said B from four pm weekdays, 59 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.