The Real Cost of New Zealand's Dramatic Covid-19 Response
Heritage Explains
Heritage Podcast Network
4.7 • 848 Ratings
🗓️ 4 April 2022
⏱️ 23 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
New Zealand is consistently ranked in the Heritage Index of Economic Freedom as one of the freest economies in the world, due to robust trade, light regulation, strong fiscal health, and a tourist magnet for the entire world. But since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, they have had dramatic lockdowns and their borders have largely been closed. In addition, their relationship with China continues to expand, while they build out a "security" presence throughout the Southern Pacific. On this episode, we talk with Jordan Williams of the New Zealand Taxpayers Union, and examine differences between the US and New Zealand covid-19 response, and what a relationship with China should look like.
Show Notes
Previous episode on New Zealand: https://shows.acast.com/heritageexplains/episodes/tim-does-the-haka-in-new-zealand
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | From the Heritage Foundation, I'm Tim Desher, and this is Heritage Explains. |
| 0:20.7 | This is Heritage Explains. |
| 0:31.0 | Several years ago, we did an episode on New Zealand. |
| 0:32.6 | Why? |
| 0:37.8 | Well, first off, it's a place I adore and visit as much as I can. |
| 0:44.4 | The rugby, the traditions of the indigenous Māori people, the breathtaking landscapes, |
| 0:51.3 | and of course, I've always been fascinated by this tiny nation of nearly 5 million people and close to 26 million sheep. |
| 0:56.8 | Come on, John Pop, the sheep sound effect? Really? |
| 1:06.5 | But for the most part, New Zealand has been a very interesting case study on the application and success of free market principles and individual liberty. |
| 1:16.6 | In fact, Heritage Foundation touts it as one of the freest economies in the world, according to our Index of Economic Freedom, |
| 1:23.6 | consistently placing in the top five freest economies in the world. |
| 1:28.3 | The reason? |
| 1:30.3 | Robust trade, rule of law, property rights, |
| 1:35.3 | a lack of harmful government subsidies for things like agriculture and competitive tax rates. |
| 1:43.3 | But over the last two years, like everything, |
| 1:47.0 | COVID changed the landscape. |
| 1:50.0 | Effective immediately, we will move to alert level three nationwide. |
| 1:57.0 | After 48 hours, the time required to ensure essential services are in place, we will move to level 4. |
| 2:06.6 | These decisions will place the most significant restrictions on New Zealanders' movements in modern history. |
| 2:13.6 | Shops closed, offices shut down and city streets completely deserted. |
| 2:18.3 | New Zealand returned to a life in lockdown for the first time in six months. |
| 2:22.3 | Strict restrictions were imposed in a bid to halt any spread of the contagious delta variant of the coronavirus. |
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