Mike's Minute: This Government was elected on change — embrace it

A good lesson in life is to work out, that if things aren't working the way you are currently doing them, then you want to change it.

We have a gargantuan hole in this country in terms of doing things in infrastructure.

We haven't, and don’t, get things done and when we crack on with the odd project it is almost always behind in time and over in money.

Part of the issue is the Resource Management Act, which I think everyone now agrees is broken and needs massive reform.

So in an attempt to kick-start matters, we have fast-track law. Fast-track, as I have said before, might well be the most important thing this Government does, in a big-picture sense.

Submissions on the legislation closed last week and you can imagine who turned up.

It's the same people who believe not doing things is the preferred option. The same people who have held this country to ransom over their individual myopic view of what's important to save, or treasure, or talk more about.

The fast-track law allows certain projects to be signed off by ministers, after going before a group of experts who tick it off as being beneficial to the country as a whole.

The pressure groups scream about a lack of democracy and dictatorial behaviour. The handwringers in the press try and beat up the idea that all this presents a problem for the Government.

There is no such problem. Most of this country are sick and tired of lobby groups, of inaction and of wastage.

The system we have hasn’t worked. We need to do things differently. We need to get on with it.

If this Government is smart they will not die wondering and they will not acquiesce to the incessant moaners, who have no one's best interests at heart but their own.

A Government elected on change needs to embrace that. It needs to be bold, back itself and believe that their approach and path is right and needs executing as soon as possible.

It is hard to overstate what a mess this country is in. That is the easy part given so many see it, feel it and live it.

But even with that scenario, there remains those who are inward-looking and can't get out of their own way.

Their time is up.

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