One year on, it is great to see that the LongtermNZ workshop is having a continuing effect. This month two participants, Susie Krieble and Finn O’Dwyer-Cunliffe, have had their views published in the November issue of Policy Quarterly with an article entitled ‘Engaging Youth on New Zealand’s Long-Term Fiscal Position’. The article offers a unique perspective on our long-term fiscal position, including areas of concern and interest for youth and what it was like to create a youth fiscal statement. They also share LongTermNZ’s views on the 2013 Treasury report: the team was overwhelmingly positive about it.
This issue of the Policy Quarterly Journal focuses on the recent Treasury report, Affording Our Future: Statement on New Zealand’s Long-Term Fiscal Position. The report is only the third of its kind and it is much more accessible than its predecessors. I have been surprised and impressed by the effort the Treasury has taken to create a more transparent document, particularly in asking for our views.
The next step is getting greater youth engagement beyond those who already have a special interest, like the Politics and Economics majors involved in LongTermNZ. This is no easy task, given that many young people will be concentrating on finishing university, finding a job, getting a mortgage – never mind what’s happening in the futuristic-sounding 2053. Susie and Finn’s article articulates some ways that this might be done. We look forward to more young people becoming a part of the conversation.
The Institute would like to thank Jonathan Boston for making this opportunity possible.
The journal is available in hard copy (to subscribe contact ips@vuw.ac.nz) or you can access an online version here at the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies site.