This guy is the business he has a business plan that not only produces the goods during a recession, he also promotes the green image the rest of the world envies. If there ever is a case for going 'Green' al the way this guy is on to something. We can never live the Australian dream we have to live the New Zealand one, green and clean and wealthy!
By Alex Tarrant
Former 2025 Taskforce member Jeremy Moon, who left the controversial group earlier this year, said although the taskforce's goal of catching Australian incomes by 2025 was a great challenge, he thought the idea was a "red herring".
Moon, who runs New Zealand merino clothing company Icebreaker, was speaking to Paul Holmes on TV1's Q&A on Sunday morning. Holmes asked Moon whether New Zealand had to catch Australia by 2025, or whether the whole exercise was just a distraction?
"I haven't been on the Taskforce for a year," Moon said.
"It's a great challenge, for me it's actually a red herring, because I'm not interested in catching Australia," he said.
Moon said it was up to private businesses, not the government, to create high paying jobs in New Zealand. He promoted more focus on protecting New Zealand's environment and creating incentives to create international businesses in the clean-tech arena, given "the fantastic green opportunity and image that we've got".
Asked by Holmes if there was one thing the governement could do, Moon said there was a "huge advantage for the country if the government can commit to a piece of thinking to come up with a framework that balances carrot and stick [around clean-tech].
"Some incentives to encourage businesses based on New Zealand’s green credentials and to dis-incentivise businesses which are hurting, or any behaviour, which is hurting New Zealand’s green reputation," he said.
Moon also said he thought talk of the tall poppy syndrome in New Zealand was a conversation that was ten years old.
The 2025 Taskforce released its second report last week, recommending, among other things, that government withdraw from commercial activities, focus more on public-private partnerships and raise age for superannuation eligibility.
It is chaired by former National Party leader and ex-Reserve Bank of New Zealand governor Don Brash.
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