What do you want from a fourth-term Labour-led government? It's a question loaded with assumptions - not least that there will be such a government - but one worth considering all the same. In two months time, we'll be voting in an election, and those of us on the left, one way or another will be voting for such a government. But why? What would we want such a government to do?
The Standard's Steve Pierson gives his answer here. Here's mine:
- A much stronger push on climate change, with a pathway set for the ETS cap (and hence emissions) to decline, and significant investment in domestic emissions reduction. Their billion dollar household fund does some of that, reducing electricity emissions by making our homes warmer, but they also need serious investment in public transport infrastructure, and in pushing domestic biofuels and renewable electricity generation.
- A continuation of the current meta monetary policy of an engineered labour shortage, coupled with further increases to the minimum wage and amendments to the EFA to make it easier for unions to seek multi-employer agreements. Current settings are allowing unions to make up lost ground and close the wage-gap with Australia, but it needs to be pushed harder.
- Serious moves to boost home ownership and restore the egalitarian dream of every kiwi having or owning their own home. Shared equity schemes and cheap loans for first home buyers, and a mass building programme of environmentally friendly, energy efficient houses to expand the state housing stock and boost supply. Ideally I'd like to see this funded through a capital gains tax on property speculators (i.e. one which excludes the family home).
- Strong investment in early childhood education for the poor. Participation in ECE significantly reduces socio-economic disparities in educational outcomes, and helps ensure every child gets a good start in life. It is thus a key policy tool for reducing inequality in the long-term.
- A constitutional programme of entrenching MMP against the undemocratic instincts of the right, strengthening and expanding human rights, electing the Governor-General, doing away with the royal assent, and codifying the constitution in preparation for the eventual shift to a republic.
Compared to some of what is being suggested in The Standard's comments, this programme is remarkably unambitious. Don't get me wrong - I'm as keen to see benefits restored to inflation-adjusted pre-1991 levels, an end to child poverty, a universal student allowance to end the obscenity of students borrowing for food, student loan debt forgiveness, and an expansion of paid parental leave as the next lefty. However, as noted in the post on student allowances linked above, the government has already pre-spent all its money for the next three years, leaving it with precious little for new spending (and most of that will be eaten up by inflation adjusting existing budgets). Barring a sudden reversal of economic fortune, the next government will get to do one big thing early in its term for its legacy. I've chosen housing because it is cheapest and seems to be an important issue at the moment, but either of the others could substitute with a suitably phased implementation and a bit of jiggling.
