The Written Word
for January 30, 2000

 New Zealand is a remarkable place with remarkable people. It is a country of less than 4 million souls and is very vulnerable from a trade point of view. Yet it has produced some remarkable people and remarkable accomplishments.

Back in 1991, after their best customer Britain had abandoned it for the Common Market, as it was then known, New Zealand was in horrible shape financially. It had no foreign reserves – not even enough to stock the Bureau de Change in Auckland Airport according to Richard Prebble, a junior treasury minister at the time. If he was joking, it was near enough to be true. Under the Labour government of the day it embarked upon an economic program for which the word dramatic is totally inadequate. Thousands were laid off, interest rates went over 20% and all farm supports were immediately withdrawn. And they made it. It took about 8 years but now New Zealand has a good balance of trade and – this is often overlooked by the “left” – they were in a position to survive the “Asian flu”. It is now a prosperous country.

But New Zealand is also known for the enormous individual contributions it has made. General Sir Bernard Freyberg was one of the outstanding commanders in the Second World War and Air Vice Marshall Sir Keith Park one of the Royal Air Force’s best airmen.

The names and events come quickly. Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mount Everest. Peter Snell, the great mid distance runner. The New Zealand All-Blacks who are perennial world laureats and whose defeat last year by France is one of the upsets of all time. Bob Charles, the great golfer and one time British Open Champion. The winning of the Americas Cup. Perennial World Softball Chamions. World Class Cricket power. Writers like Katherine Mansfield and Ngaio Marsh. Kiri Te Kanawa. I’ve done this off the top of my head and have undoubtedly missed many more.

Since I started taking an annual vacation in New Zealand nearly 20 years ago I’ve puzzled at why it is that New Zealand does so well for a tiny country. Why hasn’t Canada produced its share of world class people? Why hasn’t British Columbia, as populous as New Zealand and many times bigger done the same?

I don’t know the answer but I’ll make a stab at it. New Zealanders, whether Pakeha (white) or Maori are intensely proud of their country. New Zealand has always had to be prepared to fend for itself from a position far removed from any neighbours. It has had to be a nation of performers to survive.

Kiwis are not aggressive, boisterous loud mouths like so many from their neighbour across the Tasman Sea – they are kind, a little reserved and quietly confident in themselves and their country. Unlike Canadians they are in no doubt as to who they are.

Perhaps there are other reasons but what is for certain is that per capita there is no other country with a record of performance in so many fields as New Zealand.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that they happen to be damned good fishermen as well!