In a Land of Plenty

Film (Full Length) – 2002

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Martin Connolly

22 Mar 2019 - 07.48pm

This should be shown in every country considering austerity politics, and making its people pay for balancing the books.
Isn't it strange that it was left-wing governments that introduced a lot of neoliberal policies - Wilson in England, Mitterand in France, Hawke and Keating in Australia, Lange in NZ ...
And it shows starkly that you must not trust capitalists to do anything for the greater good, for public benefit.

Hamish

25 May 2015 - 02.48pm

There needs to be a part two to this story - where are we at now? This was informative and exposing of a narrative that seems so engrained and entrenched that at times it is imperceptible.

Derek Treeby

9 Sep 2014 - 04.53pm

Here lies history of better times than now.

Teresa

7 Sep 2014 - 08.35pm

I was six years old in 1984, I'm feel really angry after watching this documentary, and what makes me most angry is that my son is six years old and it's happening all over again. Not only should this be included in our education curriculum, this should be compulsory viewing for every citizen before they exercise their democratic right to vote.

Bertrand Feuvray

20 Oct 2012 - 04.47pm

If I remember right, it was during that period that the New Zealand government told the farmers that they could no longer be subsidized. As a result, the farmers did better finding their own markets to sell their food than prevent themselves from producing too much by fear of loss of product if it was not sold. So that was a plus. Is that right that New Zealand is primarily a lond of farmers???

I was living in London, England at the time and market economy was popular there and even in socialistic France. The funny thing about socialist France is that there is a lot of hypocrisy. Socialists like to call other socialist countries their brothers and it was under a French socialist president that the order was given to blow up the Rainbow Warrior in an harbour in New Zealand.

13 Nov 2011 - 08.12am

I just wanted to say what a great documentary that was. Very moving.

I'm from Finland and we've had the same sort of neoliberal attack on the welfare state since the 80s although it hasn't been as severe as in New Zealand. Let's hope that with the recent Occupy demonstrations around the world we can educate each other about what's going on in the world and build up popular movements to call for full employment policies.

Thomas

21 Oct 2011 - 06.57pm

This is a good historical documentary. I learnt a lot. However, I think portraying pre-1984 New Zealand as a utopia is misrepresentative. There was a reason we pursued these changes.

By 1984 commodity prices had fallen and our meat and wool industry was only being propped up by government subsidies. This meant the goverment ran a large deficit and the country had a large trade deficit. (Muldoon kept the sorry state of the government books a closely guarded secret.) There was a risk of the reserve bank going bankrupt. And we had 15% inflation and 5% unemployment.

The pre-1984 situation was undesireable and unsustainable. So I think this documentary was unfairly harsh on a government that had to deal with serious economic problems,

Zoe Fryer

18 Mar 2011 - 11.43am

I was moved and very pleased to have the past 30 years so clearly examined. A society is judged by the way they treat the most vulnerable. How is NZ doing? Probably not so well.

tim

22 Feb 2011 - 07.31pm

Great film, very well done although certainly taken from a left wing perspective.

24 Jan 2011 - 02.38pm

INCREDIBLE. I would love to see it as part of the school curriculum, along with a presentation of the current economic model being championed by the right, IMAGINE THAT!

Matt Middleton

24 Mar 2010 - 09.51pm

How bout part two!! 2002-2010 ....and beyond....