...a Standard Four to Form Four Social Studies Page

Press, 3 April 1989, Page 17

...a Standard Four to Form Four Social Studies Page

QUESTIONS (a) What is an optimist? (b) Do you think we should be optimistic about New Zealand's trading future? < . Give reasons. (c) Have lamburgers been a "hit” in New Zealand and other regions, such as North America? Give evidence. (d) Discuss whether or not the proposed Winter Olympics would benefit New Zealand. (e) Find a newspaper story about one of Mr Moore’s bright ideas. Analyse the proposal to see if you think it would work. (f) Some people have suggested that Mr Moore could one day be Prime Minister of New Zealand. Do you think he would be a good Prime Minister? (h) Imagine you are the Minister of External Relations and Trade. How would you stimulate New Zealand’s export trade? GRAPHING SKILLS (a) Using the figures in Table 1, make line graphs of New Zealand’s exports and imports to show the trends in trade (1985-87). (b) What do the figures in the final column tell us about the balance between exports and imports? (c) Name another area, apart from trade, where New Zealand earns money from overseas. (d) From Table 2, explain in four sentences the ways that our trading patterns have changed since 1920. (e) List some of New Zealand’s trading partners not shown in Table 2. (f) Suggest some ways that New Zealand could improve its export earnings. Find newspaper articles about N.Z. trade.

Table 1 VISIBLE BALANCE OF Year ended June 30 (f.0.b.) 1985 11,315,802 1986 10,571,747 1987 12,107.217 Visible trade is not the account in considering between countries.

MERCHANDISE TRADE Total exports Total imports Excess exports (+) (c.i.f.) or imports (—) $OOO 12,472,592 —1,156,790 11,466,970 —895,223 11,800,187 +307,030 only factor to be taken into the balance of payments

GOVERNMENT AID IS 50C ENOUGH? Fifty cents does not buy very much these days; even a packet of chips or a can of drink costs more. Yet 50c a person/a year is the amount of aid money the New Zealand Government gives at present to the United Nations Development Programme. Of the 18 countries that support the programme New Zealand’s contribution ranks the sixteenth on a per capita basis. Norway, wmch has a similar population to ours, donates $l6 a head. The United Nations Development Programme is the largest multi-lateral aid agency in the world. Mr William Draper, who represents the organisation, has been in New Zealand recently, speaking to Cabinet Ministers and members of Parliament, in an effort to get New Zealand to donate more money to the programme. Mr Draper would like to see us double our contribution to S3M.

Giving aid is not just a one-way street. New Zealand has already gained greatly from the programme, through the sale of supplies and the employment of New Zealand consultants for aid projects in developing countries. In 1987 the programme spent $3.61 in New Zealand for every dollar that was donated here. Mr Draper has also pointed out that giving aid is a good way to increase a country’s international reputation and create future markets for trade. TASKS (1) Make a simple bar graph to show the difference in the amount of aid New Zealand gives to the United Nations programme compared with Norway. (2) Do you think New Zealand should give aid to poorer countries? Why?/ Why not? What amounts of money should we give? (3) Many New Zealanders \ help people in other \ countries by contributing I to charities working I overseas. Which of these / organisations can you f name? Pick one and research what it does.

Table 2 CHANGING PATTERN This table indicates the changing pattern of New Zealand trade — Exports (per cent) UK Australia US Japan 1920 74 5 .16 1930 80 3 5 1940 88 3 4 1950 66 3 10 1960 53 4 13 1970 36 8 16 10 1980 14.2 . 12.6 14.4 12.6 1986 8.8 17.3 15.6 14.5 1987 9.3 14.9 16.3 15.0