Key May Rue Lost Opportunities

Libertarianz deputy leader Richard McGrath acknowledged John Key's choices for his cabinet posts, but said the Prime Minister-designate may regret not seizing the opportunity to immediately downsize the number of government ministries.

"As an interim measure, at least fourteen ministries could be abolished forthwith," said Dr McGrath. "They include the ones for climate change issues; senior citizens; racing; small business portfolios; the community and voluntary sector; disarmament and arms control; ethnic affairs; Maori affairs; Pacific Island affairs; women's affairs; youth affairs; the Rugby World Cup; arts, culture and heritage; and sport and recreation."

"The very existence of these ministries – whereby certain ethnic, gender and cultural groups are showered with money and legal status at the expense of others – is an injustice," he added.

"New Zealanders should be given a choice about whether their hard-earned money goes to support rugby players, musical entertainers, pacifists, the horse racing industry and so on. Currently we are compelled to fund these causes, worthy or not."

The Libertarianz Party believes the state should play a small but limited role in people's lives. "There are many other ministerial posts which could be gradually abolished as their functions are further taken up by the private sector," said Dr McGrath.

"Industries such as education, health, agriculture and farming, science and technology, transport, tourism, communications, fisheries, housing and energy are already largely privatized now," McGrath added.

"What is required, to get this country through the current recession, is for the government to remove the layers of regulation and punishing taxes that discourage people from trying to improve their lives through work."

"If politicians could just step back for a moment and stop interfering in the legitimate business of productive New Zealanders, they may be surprised to learn that most of the time, we can get along quite nicely without their help."

ENDS

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