AHC Rob Muldoon Seen As Great NZ PM

Your challenge, should you accept it, is with any PoD after 1975, have Robert Muldoon be seen as a great New Zealand Prime minister. Go ahead!
 
A slower (or even no) end to the tarriffs that protected the automotive assembly industry would have helped.
 
Economic liberalisation is one thing, but I think the biggest change that would alter his legacy would he a savings policy.

In OTL, Muldoon cancelled Labour's compulsory superannuation scheme (everyone puttingside a little of their salary each pay for their own fund) for a fully taxpayer funded guaranteed pension.

If he does nothing else differently, keeping a scheme like Labour's alive continously since 1972 will be of huge benefit to NZ.
 
Your challenge, should you accept it, is with any PoD after 1975, have Robert Muldoon be seen as a great New Zealand Prime minister. Go ahead!

Hey, he WAS a great New Zealand Prime Monister (ahem, Prime Minister). What's to change :D - perhaps a couple more tours by the Springboks!
 
Hey, he WAS a great New Zealand Prime Monister (ahem, Prime Minister). What's to change :D - perhaps a couple more tours by the Springboks!

Hehehe.. the games may have to be played in empty stadiums, under lockdown though...

But in all seriousness, I think a combination of continuing Labour's superannuation saving scheme (and beefing it up), no "think big" energy projects, and gradual rollback of trade barriers may work.

However that's totally at odds with his character, almost ASB.
 
I suppose Muldoon's stubbornness could make him a Rogernomics-type reformer, but that might not be very well regarded either. Still Muldoon as a Rogernome would be interesting.
 
I suppose Muldoon's stubbornness could make him a Rogernomics-type reformer, but that might not be very well regarded either. Still Muldoon as a Rogernome would be interesting.

Well, if he was a Rogernome, his relationship with the media would probably be better - especially if it's deregulated & in the hands of media barons.
 
Well, if he was a Rogernome, his relationship with the media would probably be better - especially if it's deregulated & in the hands of media barons.

Yes but most people still don't like Roger Douglas very much and Rogernomics is regatded as a necessary evil at best.
 

BooNZ

Banned
Well, if he was a Rogernome, his relationship with the media would probably be better - especially if it's deregulated & in the hands of media barons.

When Piggy was in power, the media were mice - I confess that as a young-un I was "awe-struck" when I met him - da man dominated primetime for most of my formative years....

That said, the repeal of the kiwisaver prototype was an ocean going F**k up and the ill conceived 'think big' projects not far behind.

As for the springbok tour - I attended a couple of those games as a child and was confused as to why lines of blue were protecting tens of thousands of burly rugby heads against a few hundred wiry school teacher types - "Police brutality" would have been the least of their problems - I confess I wept as the terrorists occupied the Waikato pitch...

As for Sir Roger, free market economics when you are the only free market is multiple kinds of stupid...
 
no, not necessary...

I think the commonly held view is that some degree of economic freedom/reform was needed, but views differ on how much and how fast.

The state of New Zealand's economy in 1984 gave the most radical voices fuel for their point of view - but I wonder if a change of result in the 1981 election would've resulted in a milder set of reforms from the 4th Labour government.

Anyway, to get back to the original topic - another thing to consider is transport infrastructure projects. A big example that would made a difference is the rail link through central Auckland that was shelved in the 1970s.

If Muldoon green lights central government funding, he gets remembered as the PM that unlocked Auckland public transport.
 
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BooNZ

Banned
I think the commonly held view is that some degree of economic freedom/reform was needed, but views differ on how much and how fast.

The state of New Zealand's economy in 1984 gave the most radical voices fuel for their point of view - but I wonder if a change of result in the 1981 election would've resulted in a milder set of reforms from the 4th Labour government.

Anyway, to get back to the original topic - another thing to consider is transport infrastructure projects. A big example that would made a difference is the rail link through central Auckland that was shelved in the 1970s.

If Muldoon green lights central government funding, he gets remembered as the PM that unlocked Auckland public transport.

Agree with most that, but any taxpayer expenditure on Auckland might not be popular South of the Bombays (were things as twisted back then?).

Similarly, a robust capital gains tax and GST circa 1980 would have also been for the greater good, but despised at the time and taken for granted now (or perhaps still despised).
 
Agree with most that, but any taxpayer expenditure on Auckland might not be popular South of the Bombays (were things as twisted back then?).

Similarly, a robust capital gains tax and GST circa 1980 would have also been for the greater good, but despised at the time and taken for granted now (or perhaps still despised).

GST, a lowering of the personal income tax rates (maybe to a flat 15%)
Labour's compulsory superannuation scheme was a brilliant idea - scrapping that was one of Muldoon's big f'ups.
I think rather more emphasis on our strengths - promoting agricultural exports (look at how dairy farming has boomed) and closer trade links with China / SE Asia as early as possible

Breaking up / downsizing all those old inefficient Govt Depts far earlier. I remember when I was a kid it could take 6 months to get a phone installed. Can you believe that now!!!!!

On the other hand, the old Public Works Dept did some brilliant stuff like those Hydroelectric Dams. They should have kept going with some of that stuff.

And not screwed NZ Railways into the ground.

All of the top of my head......
 
Agree with most that, but any taxpayer expenditure on Auckland might not be popular South of the Bombays (were things as twisted back then?).

I thought of that as it's something that would make a huge positive change in a vote-rich city. (Not to mention all the construction jobs during the build).

There's probably scope for more infrastructure (especially transport) projects in the rest of the country as well - in the Wellington region he could've gone ahead with the 2nd Terrace tunnel instead of cancelling it, for example. More visionary thinking in the Wellington region may be early double-tracking of the commuter lines all the way to Upper Hutt & from Paekakariki to Paraparaumu (at least), a better procurement deal for new electric units that replaces *all* the old English electric units - even for the narrow Johnsonville line.


What I'm thinking of is similar to OTLs current "roads of national significance" plan, but with a bigger component of public transport improvements for Auckland, Wellington & Christchurch. Public-private partnerships may be used for funding, but Muldoon might just be able to sell that with the promise of construction jobs.
 
Muldoon Who?

Your challenge, should you accept it, is with any PoD after 1975, have Robert Muldoon be seen as a great New Zealand Prime minister. Go ahead!

Wasn't Robert Muldoon the name of the one guy in Jurassic Park who got eaten by the Raptors? Does "Clever Girl!" ring any bells?
 
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