[pf] Fwd: 17-country poll on Government spending. "the right" is losing,

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=126310
  is:

Column:  Between the lines   -   21.03.2000

Kiwis keen on public service spending
        
 - By ROD ORAM 
Further evidence has come to light that the right has a long way to go to
win New Zealand hearts and minds over lowering Government spending and
market provision of services such as health and education. 

New Zealanders are keener on tax-funded spending on health, education and
other public services than residents of most other developed countries,
according to an international survey just published. 

Forty-two per cent of Kiwi respondents in the 17-country poll wanted more
Government spending, even if taxes had to rise to pay for it. Only the
British respondents clocked a higher score. 

However, more New Zealanders want less spending than those wanting more.
Netting out the two figures, 20 per cent of Kiwi respondents wanted
government to shrink. 

But the support for smaller government was weak compared with an average of
50 per cent of respondents across the 17 countries and a high of 75 per
cent in France. 

Conversely, the idea of cutting public services to fund a tax cut is
unpopular in New Zealand. Only 19 per cent of respondents were happy about
politicians wielding the axe. 

Only Britain, Hong Kong and Singapore showed less support for cuts. In
contrast, support for tax cuts ran strong in Japan (68 per cent), Germany
(53 per cent) and the US (41 per cent). 

The survey, conducted by Angus Reid, a Canadian polling company, is useful
because it sets New Zealand in an international context. Last month 500
voters were polled in each country except the US, where the sample was 
1000. 

The results for New Zealand mirror the DigiPoll surveys published in the
Herald in recent years. An October 1997 poll found that 83.8 per cent of
respondents were willing to forgo a tax cut to pay for more health 
spending. 

The DigiPoll survey conducted for our State of the Nation report last
weekend showed education and health as the first and third most important
issues in the country for respondents. 

If the right is worried about its failure to get its message across, then
it should doubly worry. It is clear from British trends that a few years of
increased spending under a centre-left government only whets voters'
appetites for more, particularly when the economy is growing strongly so
the tax take seems less painful. 

The Blair Labour Government's share of British GDP is set to rise to 37.4
per cent in the next fiscal year, up from 35.3 per cent before it came to
power. 

In New Zealand, Government spending is running at 41.5 per cent of GDP,
high by developed country standards. The combination of a relatively strong
economy, a centre-left Government and public demand could see spending 
rise. 

      ©Copyright 2000, NZ Herald  http://www.nzherald.co.nz

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(David MacClement) davd@ihug.co.nz 
www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/3142/Pg1-AD11.html
 or better: http://www.emucities.com.au/member/davd/
****************************************************
_________________________________________________________
Enlighten your in-box.         http://www.topica.com/t/15