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- perhaps a couple more tours by the Springboks!
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.
Yes but most people still don't like Roger Douglas very much and Rogernomics is regatded as a necessary evil at best.
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.
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.
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?).
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!