What might have been

Helen Clark has outlined the policies she was forced to cancel by the economic crisis: an expansion of paid parental leave, better primary health care, a concrete target for a higher minimum wage. These are all good, credible policies, and its a tragedy that the endless greed of America bankers forced them to be put on the back burner. But this isn't just an exercise in "what might have been" - it's also a window on what could be when times are better and the government has more money. And that vision seems to be focused on equality, on opportunity, and on making the market work for people rather than the other way round.