Tom was not in New Zealand in the days when National was the party of the landed gentry, the nearest we ever had to an aristocracy. Those were the days when the government used taxes from the rest of us in order to subsidise farmers to “bring in” marginal land to produce mutton that no-one wanted to buy. In those days there were also subsidies for producing unwanted mutton. Sir Roger, the third generation Labour minister and MP for a South Auckland electorate, was, rightly incensed at such corrupt practices and put the sword to them. He did the same to many aspects of National’s subsidies to big business. HIs motivaion was to do what is right because it is right. It was the right thing economically, although sorting out the mess made him the most hated man the country. He is, as you say Tom, a man of principle.

When Sir roger talked of parties starting with the “how” he was also referring to the Greens. Both Labour and the Greens (especially the Greens), being Socialist/Marxist in their underlying philopsophy, start with the “how” of “the state”. I encountered this mind-set at a candidates meeting in Taradale. The Greens’ candidate said that all those who set up private schools and private health providers do so because they are motivated by profit. When speaking with him after the meeting I asked whether I had understood him correctly to mean that all private schools are there for profit. He left me in no doubt whatever that in his opinion that is what motivates and is the goal of such schools. I explained that at great personal cost by me and the other people who set up our little school, we did so out of a desire to help cjhildren. He would not accept that. Thar was not only a personal insult to me, but to others in Hawke’s Bay who have made similar sacrifices for the good of our children. I know for a fact that like Hastings Christian School, the Rudolf Steiner school people wanted a different education for their kids than what the state was providing, It was through “blood, toil, tears and sweat” for many years they laboured to get that school. How insulting to say as the Greens’ candidate said, that they were running a business for profit.

This re-emphasises to me the danger of governments that want to control everything. The Greens’ candidate for Napier, supported by the Labour man, made clear their opposition to the delivery of education and health services outside the state system. “because they are profit driven.”

Act does not want to demolish the state provision of those things – for those who want it from the state. ACT believes people should have choice. Why should the state take your and my taxes for health and not let it be used for alternative methods for those who choose to do so? Are alternative health providers always and only motivated by greed for profit? Personally, altough I don’t use them, I beleive those people genuinely do what they do out of a desire to help people. ACT policy would give everyone those choices.