Coalition policies are not about ‘needs’ or ‘race’

Opinion: One of the more absurd actions from the coalition Government came last week when the Cabinet Office Circular set out the rules for public servants to ensure that public services would be based on the “needs of all New Zealanders”.
On the face of it this sounds pretty acceptable. But a moment’s thought will tell you that it is nonsense and they do not mean it. Any number of Government actions serve the interests of specific parts of the population and not “all”. It could not be otherwise. Gun owners could tell you that, so could landlords, miners, gang members, and so on. It is true of both positive and negative actions. You may hope that, on balance, a government’s actions would suit most of us but the realpolitik is that 51 percent will do fine. Anyone who tells you their genuine aim is the interests of “all” is a fool or a charlatan.