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Same old rhetoric or a change in the wind?

Both Labour leader David Shearer and the MP have delivered stirring speeches this week, in which they promote the creation of new, export-oriented, hi-tech industries as a way of pulling this country's arse out of the fires of mediocrity.

Are we seeing a realisation that we need to actually pull our fingers out and walk the walk rather than just talking the talk, when it comes to improving this nation's fortunes?

Well call me a cynic, but I wouldn't bet the farm on anything actually changing in the foreseeable future.

As part of their cost-saving programme, National are merging four of the government's key agencies into a single unified department that will carry the grandiose title of the "Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment".

Hmmm... I'm not so sure about this idea.

Yes, there may be some synergies and cost sharing able to be achieved by such a merger -- but will the resulting monolithic giant be efficient?

As we all know, the larger an organisation becomes, the more likely it is to trip on its own shoelaces and get tangled up in contemplating its own navel -- at the expense of delivering service.

In the case of government departments, this risk must be magnified significantly.

Key told the nation that "it [the new ministry] will strengthen the public service's ability to work on business policy, regulation and engagement, so the Government will get a much more co-ordinated and focused resource,"

Well that sounds bad for a start. The first thing this new megalith will do is bathe in the creation of policy and regulation?

Sigh!

This does not bode well for the entrepreneurs and businesspeople that NZ needs so badly to get a new wave of export-focused industry rolling. We don't want new regulations and policies -- those are the things that are already ankle-tapping us.

While delivering this speech, Key also referred to Shearer's words as "underwhelming".

Well at least Shearer is promising some sensible things like making the first $5K of income tax-free (at last!).

He also seems to be very much aware of the importance of getting people into productive careers that do more than just shuffle paper.

"How many Nokias are you going to make with just an army of accountants?" he asked an audience gathered in Wellington yesterday -- and it's a pretty damned good question if you ask me. However, he really ought not to be using Nokia as a good example, they've fallen on hard times recently.

However, if Shearer sticks to his word and really does place emphasis on developing NZ's hi-tech, export-focused industries then he'll get my vote at the next election.

If John Key continues to hand out "technology grants" to already successful companies are then effectively using tax paid by their competitors' to boost their own profits then I'm afraid he won't get a look in.

Of course I'll be quick to remind Labour that they're the buffoons who gave nearly $1m of taxpayers money to fund the idiocy that is the Martin Jetpack so they've got a lot of remedial work to do when it comes to their scorecard on properly managing hi-tech.

I think that now is the time to start throwing ideas at these people. Shearer says he's listening -- so give him some clues as to how best to properly cultivate, promote and support NZ's army of would-be hi-tech exporters.

I've already sent him an email with a few suggestions, I suggest you do the same.

What do Aardvark readers think?

Is this just more rhetoric and empty-words? Or might it be that Labour's new leader really does have a clue and might just have the testicular fortitude needed to get this nation's knowledge-based and hi-tech economies rolling, if his party makes it into power.

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