Morning-after

No, I don't have a hangover. Just two comments with a morning-after theme;

On the morning-after the government bought back rail this makes gloomy reading.

When the state gets involved in projects that can be done by private enterprise, the results are almost certain to be bad. We would therefore be best off with a firm rule against such endeavors, says George C. Leef, vice president for research at the John W. Pope Center for Higher Education Policy.

Government officials are apt to undertake projects that should not be done at all, explains Leef. Even if they hit upon a potentially worthwhile venture, they will approach it in a very inefficient manner. Politicians and bureaucrats are not spending their own money and do not stand to lose if they are wrong. Therefore, resources will be wasted.

And on the morning-after contraception pill. Predictably the conservatives are up in arms about a scheme to provide these pills free through community pharmacy. The Waikato Health Board wants a reduction in teenage pregnancies, a commendable goal. Should taxpayers foot the bill? It's one of those 'pay a little to pay less' situations thanks to the socialist health bind we are caught in.

But I'll make a prediction. It won't work anyway. Existing free contraception hasn't so why would more? The reporter states that the number of teenage births have been relatively stable this century. He bases that on Health department statistics (on which I must make a closing comment). He was only provided with data to 2004.

More recent Statistics NZ data shows the 15-19 birth rate hit a low of 25.6 in 2002 and has climbed back to 31.3 in 2007. Hence my comment that existing free (or subsidised) contraception isn't having the desired effect (although one could mount an argument that the teenage birth rate would be even higher without it.)

And with regard to health statistics. I haven't followed the issue closely but there is dissension from the private sector over the new Public Health Bill and it's proposed capacity to force statistical information from them. That's rich. The availability of health statistics from government departments is appalling. Their statistics are typically very dated and hard to access. They should look to their own record keeping first.