This is the latest of our posts with Reform looking ahead to the Spending Review.
The first five posts were on health, education, the coalition’s first hundred days, welfare and the Civil Service.
International examples of public finance rescue missions
Other countries can provide important lessons on what does, and what does not, work in devising a plan to bring government spending down. Several countries have undertaken major programmes of
reform that have set out to restore fiscal credibility and improve the quality of their public services. Examples include New Zealand, Canada and Ireland. Reform has drawn on the experiences of
senior figures from these countries, and lessons from the New Zealand experience are discussed below.
New Zealand
A centre-right government was elected in New Zealand in November 1990. The incoming government faced a larger than expected fiscal deficit (approaching 20 percent) as the economy moved into recession and funds were required to stop the country’s largest bank from collapsing.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in