from Jamie Pearce <[log in to unmask]> on 27/02/2007 02:08:31 PM

To:   Dennis Raphael
Subject:    RE: NZ and the neoliberal agenda

Dear Dennis,

I read with your interest your recent editorial in the Health
PromotionJournal of Australia. I fully agreed with the thrust of your
article and the recommendations are of course wholly sensible. However, one
line the paper intrigued me. In your conclusion you state "While it is
apparent that Australian public policy has been moving more and more
towards a neo-liberal US-type model, reversals are possible. Indeed, New
Zealandtook a similar neo-liberal course during the 1990s, but has now
reversed direction."

The last part of this statement might surprise many of us
working in NZ. Whilst it could be argued that the current NZ government are
not pursuing the neoliberal politics of the late 1980s and early 1990s with
quite the same rigour, I would contest that we have witnessed a 'reversal'.

Health inequalities, whether measured socially, geographically or
ethnically are (as elsewhere) at unprecedented high levels and continue to
rise. See for example some of my work:

http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/dyl013v1?ijkey=nqd0JUy7BFaFY&keytype=ref&siteid=intjepid


http://www.geog.canterbury.ac.nz/department/staff/jamie/2006-5%20October%20D6%20Pearce%20-%20revised.pdf

There is little evidence to suggest they have reversed. Inequalities in
income have continued to rise and we have one of the highest levels of
child poverty in the OECD. In Christchurch, where I live, we have estimated
that around 10% of the population regularly rely on food parcels from food
banks. A recent report suggested that 80,000 NZ children (in a total NZ
population of 4 million) go to school each day without breakfast.
Government initiatives to assist low income households have not benefited
those right at the bottom of the pile.

I think the best interpretation that the current Labour govt can hope to
claim is that they have softened some of the worst excesses of
neoliberalism. It is contentious as to whether this can be interpreted as a
reversal though.

Best wishes,

Jamie Pearce

Dr Jamie Pearce

GeoHealth Laboratory, Department of Geography,

Universityof Canterbury- Te Whare Wananga O Waitaha,

Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Tel: +64 (0) 3 364 2987 x7943
www.geohealth.canterbury.ac.nz

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