Version two of the Skilling/Weldon document Swan Dive or Belly Flop is now released. The document reflects a more considered response, based on more research and analysis, along with reader and blogger comments and, it seems, just more effort.
Good job.
I read through the rest of document, and made notes about what I liked, would change and what I flat out disagreed with. Overall it is substantially better than before, with only a little of the latter.
But I found that I struggled with the overall context – it all just seemed a bit small and showed a business bias.
I struggled with why we are proposing to do all of these things? Where will it get us?
For me, as I am sure for many, it comes down to the a feeling that Lloyd and the HRL Morrison folk are absolutely right – we cannot go much further without first defining some goals, a strategy, for New Zealand.
The authors did incorporate some of that HRL Morrison & Co. thinking on their desire for an overall goal for New Zealand – but have not come up with any proposed answers.
We need “Al Gore level” challenges not just on GDP, but also on Environment and other parts of our journey to Zero Harm, on developing and sustaining the greatest people around and on making sure that the country is run effectively, efficiently and fairly.
So rather than bore you with the line by line criticisms of the Swan Dive or Belly Flop (yet), I’ll have a go at a strategy. Back soon.
Lance Wiggs 