Lindsay Perigo
The Politically Incorrect Show - 25/05/2000
Music - Die Fledermaus
Good afternoon, KAYA ORAAAA & welcome to the Politically Incorrect Show on the free speech network, Radio Pacific, for Thursday May 25, proudly sponsored by Neanderton Nicotine Ltd, the show that says bugger the politicians & bureaucrats & all the other bossyboot busybodies who try to run our lives with our money; that stands tall for free enterprise, achievement, profit & excellence against the state-worshippers in our midst; that stands above all for the most sacred thing in the universe, the liberty of the human individual.
[Music up, music down]
Today, a recital. Don't panic, I'm not going to sing. A diligent listener, Matthew, has measured the length of the Leviathan state's tentacles & e-mailed me his findings, which I quote here along with his commentary:
I was heartened upon reading a recent press release from an associate of yours, Dr. McGrath, in which he stated his desire to become Minister of Health - and then promptly do himself out of a job by sacking the entire staff of the ministry and disestablishing it. This had me wondering about just what the extent of the government's oversight (read: interference) is. After browsing through the government's web site, I was able to compile a list of ministerial portfolios, which includes the following: Accident Insurance; Adult and Community Education; Agriculture; Arts, Culture and Heritage; Auckland Issues (assisting the Prime Minister on); Audit Department (in charge of the); Biosecurity; Broadcasting; Civil Aviation; Civil Defence; Commerce; Communications; Community and Voluntary Sector; Conservation; Consumer Affairs; Corrections; Courts; Crown Research Institutes; Customs; Defence; Disability Issues; Disarmament and Arms Control; Economic Development; Education; Education Review Office (responsible for); Energy; Environment; Ethnic Affairs; Finance; Fisheries; Foreign Affairs and Trade; Forestry; Health; Housing; Immigration; Industry and Regional Development; Information Technology; Internal Affairs; Justice; Labour; Land Information; Local Government; Maori Affairs; Ministerial Services (responsible for); National Archives (responsible for); National Library (responsible for the); New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (in charge of the); Pacific Island Affairs; Police; Public Trust Office (in charge of the); Racing; Research, Science and Technology; Revenue; Rural Affairs; Senior Citizens; Small Business; Social Services and Employment; Sport, Fitness and Leisure; State Owned Enterprises; State Services; Statistics; Timberlands West Coast Ltd; Tourism; Trade Negotiations; Transport; Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations (in charge of); Veterans' Affairs; Women's Affairs; Youth Affairs. Yes - that is 69 Ministerial portfolios. I consider it to be quite unnecessary - even quite frightening - that the government considers it has a "responsibility" to interfere in almost every aspect of our lives. That considered, there are some portfolios in the above list that have a legitimate function; Defence, Police, Courts, Corrections, etc., but by far the majority (and their associated ministries, agencies, etc.) could do to be immediately abolished (or sold, as the case may be). This titanic bureaucracy, like the Titanic ship itself, can only be headed toward disaster.
Recent examples of the efficacy of some ministers only serve to support this point; Mr. Dunne's recent revelations about what the Minister for Racing actually does (nothing constructive), and the Minister for Sport's decision to give $5.6m to the Team New Zealand Trust (apparently other top sports people are not worthy of such government "assistance" - not that I endorse the squandering of any taxpayer-sourced loot on any sport).
It would therefore appear that a libertarian-style political structure has significant benefits (massive reduction in the cost of running government, no bully-boy government interference, economic benefits from the immigration of skilled people seeking refuge from other statist regimes, etc.) and only one significant disadvantage (unemployment amongst bureaucrats and their minions). The Libertarianz shall have my support at the next election.
Politically Incorrect Show, beating the bastards back ... 309 3099.
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