The public good

I have been thinking long and hard about the meaning of Government. Regardless of our station in life if we earn, buy or both we pay tax. This is our contribution to the running of the country.

All tax is a payment made by the ordinary people and companies of New Zealand and goes into a pool to be managed by the public service that are in turn governed by the elected officials (the Government). The pool of tax money goes to providing the services required of a society but can’t be effectively provided by other means. It also goes to providing the necessary infrastructure required in a civilised society but can’t be provided by other means (dams, roads etc.).

When deciding how that money is spent consideration must be given to the public good and to the strategic requirements of the country. It gives a lot of latitude to all the parties involved but they must also be held accountable by the electorate, that is, not only the elected officials but also those employed, by those elected officials, to carry out the tasks assigned. This is the fundamental premise of democracy. The people hold the Government accountable for its actions. Therefore everyone is responsible for the actions of the Government.

It also means that the Government owns nothing they are the stewards of that which is owned by the people. We don’t sell Government Assets we sell the people’s assets. I wonder what the cost benefit analysis has been on sales to date?

I sometimes think that it is the public good component of government that receives the least consideration and I think it can be canted by philosophical belief. It is a simple process, is it good for the people and the country, if so then it is a public good. I wonder if we don’t get confused with what is a public cost. Is education a public cost or an investment in the future of the Country. Are the Police a cost or an investment in public order? Is health a cost or an investment in public well-being?

When we look at infrastructure we assess it on need but shouldn’t we look at what sort of potential can be released by that investment; can it be an enabler of economic activity?

These are heady conundrums for governments all over the world. I do believe that we need to understand and promote government that emphasises the Public Good and acts as good and able stewards of precious public funds. Governments must also hold accountable those that administer those funds on our behalf.

Easy!