Some conversations in Aotearoa New Zealand are like the tide. They come in with urgency, full of froth and promise, and then slide back out, leaving only the faint trace of where they had been. The capital gains tax is one such wave. One half of the political shoreline prefers to let it roll away, reluctant to confront the taboos that have built up like driftwood around our tax system. The other half eyes the universal superannuation age but dares not touch it, knowing that to raise it, or to make it means-tested like in Australia, would be to step on the electoral equivalent of a sea urchin.

Immigration, meanwhile, is our stop-start tide pump. A burst of incoming workers when skills are short, then a clampdown when housing, hospitals, and schools cry out in exhaustion. The benefits are fleeting; just when the seams feel stretched, a portion of our newcomers cross the ditch with a freshly minted Aotearoa New Zealand passport. They are drawn by better pay or sunnier prospects, and we are left both relieved and back where we started. Square one.

It is not a pleasant truth, but the country needs a correction. An honest and a thorough rebalancing of its economic levers. This means making big, sometimes uncomfortable choices that can work for the next 20 or 30 years, not just until the next election.

Ganesh Nana has long argued that without structural reform, we will remain stuck in a cycle of reactive policymaking, missing the chance to build long-term resilience. That means a full review of the tax system, from capital gains to the sustainability of universal superannuation, not just quick fixes. It means asking hard questions about whether our system can still support an ageing population, a strained health service, and a housing market that has left many people behind.

Bernard Hickey has noted that our economic settings, particularly in housing and taxation, have entrenched inequality and locked younger generations out of stability. In simpler terms, the rules we live by are making it harder for young people to have the same opportunities as their parents or grandparents.

The current political situation feels like an endless circus. To truly end this cycle, we need a bold, bipartisan agreement. This is not about politicians suddenly becoming friends, but about them acknowledging that the constant bickering and short-term fixes are failing everyone. A cross-party pact could force a shared vision for the country that lasts for decades. By doing so, we could finally stop just reacting to problems and start making long-term plans. We could put an end to the endless back-and-forth of policy changes that just lead to more chaos.

This kind of agreement would allow us to tackle major issues like housing, healthcare, and education with a unified approach. Instead of these crucial areas being treated as separate problems, fixed with mismatched and temporary solutions, they could be woven into one cohesive national strategy. This shared direction would provide the stability and consistency needed to make real progress. It would allow us to build a solid foundation for the future, rather than constantly patching over the same cracks.

Without it, the tides will keep coming in and going out. Each election will wash away the last set of promises and lay down a new set, destined to erode in turn. Our economy and society, and the very ground beneath us will keep shifting under our feet.