Open AccessThe myth of the shrinking state? What does the data show about the size of the state in New Zealand, 1900-2015
Author(s) -
Norman Gemmell,
Derek Gill
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
policy quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2324-1101
pISSN - 2324-1098
DOI - 10.26686/pq.v12i3.4611
Subject(s) - government (linguistics) , liberalization , state (computer science) , workforce , resizing , business , state government , market economy , economics , economic policy , economic growth , algorithm , european union , computer science , philosophy , linguistics , incentive
As every student knows, the economic reforms of the fourth Labour government after 1984 reduced the size of the state. One of the elements of the government’s programme of economic liberalisation was to exit from state trading activities by first corporatising and then privatising the activity. The trading activities in question ranged from telecommunications and banks to hotels, a printing business and a shipping line. In 1984 government spending was about 40% of GDP, and the government employed 31% of the workforce.