19 May 06

Editor
Kapiti Observer

The Government?s funding of a ?Buy NZ? campaign has certain
ingredients of tragi-comedy. How seriously is one to take a
Government that is going to spend millions on some nebulous
so-called campaign whilst simultaneously embarking on free
trade with countries based on coolie labour? It?s
reminiscent of Muldoon?s publicly proclaimed support for
?Buy NZ? whilst he was promoting the policy of industrial
rationalisation which first opened NZ up to cheap imports.
The free trade agreement with China is only one of many
free trade agreements being negotiated with Asian countries,
of which most New Zealanders are probably completely
oblivious.
It seems that when some Marxist or tin-pot third world
regime wishes to distract public attention some ?campaign?
is heralded with great fanfare; the modern equivalent to
bread and circuses in Rome?s final days.
A recent news report states that our furniture industry is
almost dead thanks to cheap imports. Joinery has become an
obsolete craft along with many others.
The Government?s ?Buy NZ? campaign is as cynical as the
claims made by certain large retail outlets who are ?proud
to support Kiwi made? when a cursory look reveals they are
overwhelmingly stocked by ill-made manufactures from sundry
Third World countries.
A ?Buy NZ? campaign is as hopeless as the other Labour
brainwave, a campaign against obesity. The first requires
banning junk imports; the second requires banning junk food.
Wages need to rise, so that there is actually enough
purchasing power to consume internal production, but we are
told garbage about wage rises costing NZ out of the
international market. Bank debt and sundry taxes cause
cost-price inflation, not wages, which increase consumption.
Putting a kiwi sticker on a product means damn all if
there?s not the purchasing power to buy it.

K R Bolton
New Right