Andrew Dickens Afternoons by Newstalk ZB
Newstalk ZB
Radio: NewsTalk ZB Network
Categories: News & Politics
Listen to the last episode:
New Zealand seems to be waking up to an issue I thought would have caused more concern.
As part of the bonfire of the public service, the Government seems to be eyeing cuts to our public research and development sector.
Principally that means the Callaghan Institute, the Crown agency that employs about 300 people and has been the target of attack, particularly from David Seymour.
He sees the agency's work as being a form of corporate welfare, a bugbear of ACT's.
Other ministries and departments conduct significant research funded by the taxpayer. The Department of Conservation has developed major techniques and processes that have been adopted around the world.
The Primary Industries ministry also funds valuable research, including work into climate change mitigation.
It's feared that all this work will be affected as the Government saves costs in the backroom.
Last week, Stats NZ revealed that private industry is starting to put their money where their mouth is.
The New Zealand business sector has shown a robust increase in research and development (R&D) spending, reaching a new high of $3.7 billion in 2023.
That's $540 million increase, or 17 percent, from the previous year, marking the largest annual growth since annual data collection began in 2018.
There's value in research spending. So it would be short-sighted to reduce Governmental spending on it
R&D funding cuts could mean we will lose our best and brightest scientists, like those at Callaghan, to overseas countries who are investing in science.
As we enter a regime determined to cut spending I think it's good to remember a famous quote by Oscar Wilde.
He said - " a fool is a person who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing".
The worry is that the Government goes too far and starts to cut things of value.
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Previous episodes
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675 - Andrew Dickens: There's worry the Government cuts will go too farMon, 29 Apr 2024
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674 - Andrew Dickens: We need to put perspective on the current state of our economyMon, 22 Apr 2024
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673 - Andrew Dickens: The media model is broken because of fearMon, 15 Apr 2024
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672 - Andrew Dickens: New Zealand knows the price of everything and the value of nothingMon, 08 Apr 2024
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671 - Andrew Dickens: Let's put SailGP on at an appropriate venue and move onMon, 25 Mar 2024
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670 - Andrew Dickens: Did the Government know that their pre-election promises were unaffordable?Mon, 11 Mar 2024
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669 - Andrew Dickens: National's state of the nation address was blame game politicsMon, 19 Feb 2024
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668 - Andrew Dickens: This weekend showed the Greens are fast becoming unelectableMon, 12 Feb 2024
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667 - Andrew Dickens: The Government has to learn perceptions stickMon, 04 Dec 2023
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666 - Andrew Dickens: Is this what we can expect for the next three years?Mon, 27 Nov 2023
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665 - Andrew Dickens: There's big stones in the path to coalitionMon, 20 Nov 2023
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664 - Andrew Dickens: Enjoy this respite from criticism of New Zealand, it won't lastMon, 30 Oct 2023
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663 - Andrew Dickens: New Zealand is confusedMon, 16 Oct 2023
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662 - Andrew Dickens: We've got an incompetent cohort of politiciansMon, 09 Oct 2023
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661 - Andrew Dickens: National has abandoned their plans for social investment from 2017Mon, 02 Oct 2023
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660 - Andrew Dickens: I don't know why National is so wedded to these tax cutsMon, 18 Sep 2023
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659 - Andrew Dickens: Luxon shoots himself in the foot, time and time againMon, 11 Sep 2023
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658 - Andrew Dickens: New Zealand needs smart leadership- but no one's offeringMon, 04 Sep 2023
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657 - Andrew Dickens: Misguided, naïve, or just plain timidMon, 28 Aug 2023
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656 - Andrew Dickens: This country won't survive drastic cuts to the public workforceMon, 21 Aug 2023
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655 - Andrew Dickens: Will they have any mandate at all come October?Mon, 14 Aug 2023
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654 - Andrew Dickens: There's one piece of infrastructure working well- Eden ParkMon, 07 Aug 2023
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653 - Andrew Dickens: We're not nearly as bad as so many make us out to beMon, 31 Jul 2023
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652 - Andrew Dickens: Hipkins is a lame turkey waiting for ChristmasMon, 24 Jul 2023
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651 - Andrew Dickens: Matariki is not going awayMon, 17 Jul 2023
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650 - Andrew Dickens: Cancel culture continues to growMon, 10 Jul 2023
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649 - Andrew Dickens: The treatment of the Police is regrettableMon, 26 Jun 2023
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648 - Andrew Dickens: This policy should've been placed in the "not now, not ever" pileMon, 19 Jun 2023
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647 - Andrew Dickens: Green's tax policy is barely worth the paper it's written onTue, 13 Jun 2023
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646 - Andrew Dickens: A bit of a culture shockMon, 29 May 2023
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645 - Andrew Dickens: Why did so many mainstream outlets miss the point of the coronation?Mon, 08 May 2023
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644 - Andrew Dickens: King Charles makes a useful sideshow from the drudgery of everyday lifeMon, 01 May 2023
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643 - Andrew Dickens: We need to pay people moreMon, 24 Apr 2023
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642 - Andrew Dickens: Infrastructure planning is a lesson we fail to learnMon, 17 Apr 2023
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641 - Andrew Dickens: It's time for politicians to back away from the blusterMon, 03 Apr 2023
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640 - Andrew Dickens: Posie Parker's visit and the fallout played out exactly as predictedMon, 27 Mar 2023
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639 - Andrew Dickens: We ignore what's possible when we talk about crime and policingMon, 20 Mar 2023
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638 - Andrew Dickens: We have to admit our health system is brokenMon, 13 Mar 2023
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637 - Andrew Dickens: How can you reduce both public servants and consultants if you want anything done?Mon, 06 Mar 2023
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636 - Andrew Dickens: Tribute to Chester BorrowsMon, 27 Feb 2023
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635 - Andrew Dickens: I won't be voting for a party that doesn't have a cogent water reform policyMon, 27 Feb 2023
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634 - Andrew Dickens: It's time to stop doing only enough to get by until tomorrowMon, 20 Feb 2023
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633 - Philip Duncan: WeatherWatchMon, 13 Feb 2023
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632 - Andrew Dickens: Much to unpack from the Auckland FloodsMon, 30 Jan 2023
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631 - Andrew Dickens: It's making for a great electionMon, 23 Jan 2023
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630 - Andrew Dickens: The by-election needs to be taken with a grain of saltSun, 11 Dec 2022
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629 - Andrew Dickens: Saturday's Billy Joel concert gave me perspective on transport investmentsMon, 05 Dec 2022
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628 - Andrew Dickens: We've been used as a rubbish bin and the Aussies know itMon, 28 Nov 2022
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627 - Andrew Dickens: Qatar's money has taken their humanityMon, 21 Nov 2022
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626 - Andrew Dickens: Co-governance should be the least of your worriesMon, 14 Nov 2022
