New Zealand, a third world country?
Some 60 years ago, New Zealand was the envy of the world.
We had a booming economy, and a happy people with hardly a worry in the world.
What has happened since then?
q Our economy has collapsed to the point where it is only Agriculture keeping us afloat. Even this may change as our largest company, Fonterra, is suggesting that it goes public and allows overseas investors to buy into it.
q The entire public infrastructure that was built up over the life of New Zealand was sold off at bargain prices to the International asset strippers. Now we are in a position where the infrastructure is (has) collapsed and now the NZ Government is required to rebuild it, almost from scratch. NZ Rail, Telecom, Air NZ, etc, etc.
q The social services sector has suffered very badly over the years. Hospitals have been shut almost everywhere except for the larger cities. We are unable to attract and keep competent doctors and nurses, as we do not have the resources or money to keep them in the county.
q The educated youth of the country are leaving in droves, and probably will never come back because of the enormous debts that the Government causes students to attach to themselves to get an education.
q The tax system is such that you are required to hire accountants and tax lawyers just to keep your affairs in order. The compounding interest and draconian attitudes taken by the IRD towards mistakes generated by the small businesses ensures that NZ has one of the highest failure rates for small businesses in the world.
q In 2006 40,000 Kiwi’s voted with their feet and moved permanently to Australia, and the Government wonders why.
q In the last 2 decades all our large successful companies have either moved offshore totally or at least a major part of their operations have, and most of our multi-millionaires have departed for greener pastures.
q Corruption and self-serving interest is now rife throughout the corridors of power, and very visible to the public. One MP is before the High Court on charges of bribery and corruption; another is facing a charge of assault. Even though it is on public record that the assault happened, he denies it in court. The old saying about power corrupts has been proved time and again in the last decade or so in New Zealand.
So is New Zealand a Third World Country?
In my view it is, and it is likely to get worse before it gets better.
We need a visionary leader who will fire the imagination of the people and business alike. At the moment such a leader does not appear to be anywhere on the horizon, and unless one appears within the next decade with the drive and determination to make New Zealand relevant in today’s world, we will slide further and further into poverty, both in terms of assets and skills.
General thoughts on what is wrong with the world. 
August 23, 2008 at 8:07 am
I couldn’t agree more with your statements. Please let me know your contacts. I would like to discuss matters.
Thanks
Peter Krauliz
Hamilton, NZ
March 13, 2010 at 1:10 pm
I just like to express my thoughts and feelings upon this interesting note…
I totally support this message and I also feel that my country is moving closer and closer to the toilet.
I too have contemplated many times to leave this country and start a new life elsewhere.
But something deep down inside tells me to stay and to keep striving to push as a kiwi. I feel this country needs a true leader to help the Government and us as civilians to all understand that we are failing our history, culture, traditions and our land.
I see that most of us don’t even take loyalty or pride in being a Kiwi anymore!!!
Man I wish I could help in some way and kick everyones asses into gear to wake up!
If there is a way let me know?
We need an honest, determined, trusting fearless brother to lead us!!!
It should be me… Even though I know absolutely nothing.
February 10, 2011 at 6:17 am
I could spend all day going into great detail as to why things are how they are. You have hit the nail on the head. The corruption with both media and govt is unreal. I’m off to OZ in a few weeks and will not look back. God bless NZ, I still love you but can not make ends meet here anymore thanks to so many SOE’s being sold off and a ton of other reasons. So up you TVNZ and TV3, go running back to your masters and get another years funding so you can spin some more BS, there’s a good boy.
Oh to hell with it . Here’s a SMALL list of govt and media cover up’s. By the way I’m looking for a person in government call “Systemic failure of our department” If anyone knows the where abouts of this person can you please contact me.
1) Cave Creek (no one accountable) . How about DOC?
2) Speeding motorcade (all those involved let off)
3) Foreshore issue. Chris Finlayson on the news tonight, “people want this”. REALLY!
4) Leaky homes. OH where’s BRANZ, BIA, James Hardies, Carters. That’s right they control the construction industry and MP’s. How stupid of me.
I’ve got tons more but what’s the point. You can’t use the justice system when it’s as corrupt as the rest of them.
March 25, 2011 at 7:14 am
Hi I totally support your statements above. I have worked so hard for this country I love New Zealand its in my blood but even a good citizen like myself can’t make ends meet as the expense of my small business, my family and now restructuring in my job. I can’t believe I gave up a great opportunity in Melbourne six years ago to stay in New Zealand to share in my good skills. I don’t think I will be here in New Zealand in the next months. Bring on brighter pastures for me.
March 25, 2011 at 7:47 pm
The reality is that the people who can make the changes (i.e politicians) have their noses so far into the trough that they don’t care about anything else. Look at how many politicians of late have been caught – Patsy Wong, the bloke with the 18 year old boy, etc.
We need a benevolent dictator like Lee Kwan Hu of Singapore, but I suspect there is no one like that in New Zealand. All those who actually want to make a difference have already left, and they won’t be back. Corruption, stupidity and greed is rife in our corridors of power and I don’t think that the election of different people will help.
I remember in the Muldoon era (he really was destructive) when the saying was “Will the last person leaving New Zealand please turn off the lights?”
Looks like its time to pull out those posters from storage.
April 13, 2011 at 8:43 am
I strongley agree we are turning to be a third world country i have worked 40 years of my life and what do i get for it i have to pay High petrol price’s nearly a weeks wages just to buy a loaf of bread and 2 liters of milk and a block of cheese i dont even think about having a good old kiwi roast anymore.everything we make here in our country and we have to pay through the teeth for it. Also we know that all refugees get treated like royalty in our country.they come to our country with no money and get everything given to them and yet the doctors and highly exprenced have to go and find jobs else where outside our country..
Now the big one is why cant we get more money into our health system and our education and our police when we all kick up a stink. But hold on CHRISTCHURCH has a earth Quack WHOO the Goverment cand find billion of dollars to help them out and then put the rest of the country on hold while they help CH CH
Now we all have to pay for them to get it all sorted out buy let me think OHH YEAH increase everything so the average Kiwi can not Survive anymore I think this is where the kiwi will become a extinct species
The Goverment got a payrise Yahoo and it was back dated by 5 months But John KEY said it should not have happened but did he give it back (NO) he still took it
I still belive we should do away with C.E.O’s they are bleeding the country dry
I am just wondering if we can go for a drive in the new BMW’S the goverment just got as we are tax payers we own them so what do u think shell we see if we can borrow them to go away for the weekend cause i cant afford petrol in my car
I have heaps more to say but no time just yet
I cant afford to use internet for to long not till i get a payrise anyway
Thanks
May 25, 2011 at 9:19 am
Hey everybody, I was just searching about our heritage for homework and i came across this debate. From the point of view of a thirteen year old, I don’t at all think that NZ is going third world. Regardless of our economical mess, we are in the top ten most peaceful countries in the world, we are highly educated, we’re pretty impressive environmentally and all we need to do is be positive. There’s more to a third world country than being poor, it’s about having happy, healthy people. If we stay positive than what can go wrong? Worrying isn’t going to help anything, and in comparison to some other countries out there, we actually have very little to worry about. If we expect ourselves to go third world, then we will.
October 7, 2011 at 8:21 pm
Spot on Lydia. These guys’ll see a conspiracy wherever they go.
November 4, 2011 at 12:53 pm
Singapore Debaters…
[…]New Zealand – a 3rd world country? « General thoughts on what is wrong with the world.[…]…
March 9, 2012 at 1:14 pm
Lydia is right. NZ may be making some poor economic decisions but there’s no point escaping into conspiracy theory; it’s time for New Zealanders to stop whining about our lost Golden Age. The post-British Empire NZ was a fool’s paradise and we are selling our land rather than working harder and smarter to keep up with Asia.
If this is going to be the Pacific Century, then NZ is well placed and our abundance of marine life will become an increasingly important source of income, in the form of fisheries exports but also eco-tourism, along with the tourism based around our extraordinary geographical inheritance, creative design, steel production (many believe the best in the world), ESL teaching, exports of dairy products and meat, and many other areas of potential growth
Lydia, your pretty smart for a kid. You get a pretty cushy and sheltered life growing up in NZ, at least compared to what you get in real 3rd world countries. That is why you have all these moping losers complaining instead of taking their services elsewhere.
Young Kiwis with talent can make a fortune in Asia these days and we will be in pole position to capitalise on the global shift to the East. On the other hand, useless people are unwanted in any country and can get away with being useless pretty easily in NZ: I’d love to see half the sad sacks on this site survive in a real 3rd World country – harden up!
Ka kite to the real Kiwis who don’t spend their life moaning and exaggerating about how bad they’ve got it!
February 21, 2013 at 5:56 am
“New Zealand – a 3rd world country? General thoughts on what
is wrong with the world.” really enables me contemplate a
little bit extra. I really cherished each and every single section of it.
Thanks a lot -Lyndon
October 10, 2020 at 10:49 pm
thank you for listening
October 11, 2020 at 1:26 am
When I read back through this debate I started in 2008, I do not see any improvements. In fact, it seems to have got worse. The draconian measures taken by the Government for Covid-19 are unlikely to be easily removed once the panic has subsided. NZ is on its way back to isolation at the bottom of the world – mind you the rest of the world is no different. 😦