Having travelled a fair bit over many decades, I am unable to think of any other country in which I would rather have my family with me, and where I would rather live, play my sport and pursue my other interests, including investing our money and helping to run a broking business.
Anyone reading a recent survey of 132 countries on ‘’Social Progress” will understand. This report, performed by the Social Progress Imperative Organisation, analysed 132 countries under three main headings:
1) Basic human needs
2) Foundation of wellbeing
3) Opportunity
Under human needs it assessed nutrition and medical care, water and sanitation, shelter and personal safety.
Under wellbeing it assessed access to knowledge, access to information and communication, health and wellness and the sustainability of ecological systems.
Under opportunity it assessed personal rights, freedom of choice, tolerance and inclusiveness, and access to advanced education. Worryingly, NZ scored a relatively poor figure for ecological sustainability. Less worryingly, NZ’s three overall scores under the three categories were 97, 84 and 88, each marked out of 100.
Here are some other scores:
Australia - 94/86/87 - overall 10th
Canada - 93/80/87 - overall 7th
UK - 91/79/83 – overall 13th
USA - 89/75/82 – overall 16th
Oh, NZ was ranked first overall. Oh, yes, and in another recent international survey for business friendliness and lack of corruption, NZ was also rated first.
The only constant theme has been that in virtually every survey of countries I have read, somewhere in the best ten, usually the top five, sits New Zealand. Want to go and live somewhere else?
I have been told repeatedly by people in power in Europe that we enjoy a combination of good luck (sunshine, rainfall, water storage and arable soil), isolation (no illegal immigrants, no bellicose neighbours) under-population (ability to travel, access to nature) and generally good, dare I say it, British-influenced social practices (social security, justice, policing, education, health). We do try to help our poor and our disadvantaged, if not always to everyone’s satisfaction.
Political parties of both hues have contributed to our good fortune.
We naturally must be vigilant to protect what we have – clean water, clean air, freedom to speak, safety on our streets, renewable energy, ample food etc – but there is little evidence to suggest either of our two main political parties would sabotage these blessings.
The United Nations defines poverty as applying to people who are forced to live on less than US$1.25 a day. There are globally 1.2 billion in this category, 300 million of them in India.
I accept that this definition refers to ‘’absolute poverty’’ but the fact is that in NZ there are no people living in ‘’absolute’’ poverty.
No political prisoners or public critics were shot or tortured here last year (thank goodness!) Anyone willing to live outside the biggest cities can obtain shelter for an affordable amount.
