MCGUINNESS INSTITUTE MEDIA RELEASE 11 JULY 2013

Can we afford our future?

Today’s release of the Treasury’s 2013 statement on New Zealand’s long-term fiscal position – Affording Our Future – will provide a further opportunity for young people to have a say on the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand in the next 40 years.

University students Susie Krieble and Darren Zhang will be attending today’s official launch of the Treasury’s latest statement on New Zealand’s long-term fiscal position, representing the 27 young people who participated in the LongTermNZ workshop in December 2012.

These statements look ahead 40 years and provide a snapshot of what the Treasury have identified as challenges for New Zealand’s long-term fiscal position, as well as evidence-based options for addressing these challenges.

Following the launch, Krieble (21yrs) and Zhang (19yrs) will circulate a survey among the 27 LongTermNZ participants seeking feedback on the Treasury’s final document. These survey results will then provide the basis for an article to be published in the journal Policy Quarterly published by Victoria University's Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, responding to the Treasury’s statement and providing a youth perspective on New Zealand’s fiscal future.

‘The LongTermNZ workshop was a fantastic opportunity to think deeply about how we can ensure fiscal stability and sustainability over the next 40 years,’ says Krieble. ‘We’re looking forward to reading the Treasury’s statement and having a chance to revisit these issues six months on.’

The LongTermNZ workshop in December, hosted by the McGuinness Institute with support from the Treasury and Victoria University of Wellington, saw 27 politics and economics students attend the Affording Our Future conference and then produce their own 2012 Youth Statement on New Zealand’s Long-term Fiscal Position. This booklet – which can be downloaded for free at longtermnz.org – aims to communicate the key issues discussed at the conference to other young people. In April 2013, the group was invited to give a presentation to the Treasury on youth engagement and communication. This presentation can be viewed at longtermnz.org.

The launch of the Treasury’s statement will be discussed in the final section of the McGuinness Institute’s report on the LongTermNZ workshop, due for publication next month. Report 15: LongTermNZ – Exploring our Long-term Fiscal Position will record the preparation, inputs, outputs and outcomes of the workshop.

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