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Worksheet 5: Government expenditure

How the government decides how much is spent on what areas

In the 1994 DecisionMaker Guideboook, find the DecisionMaker/ACC graph showing cost and number of rugby and netball injuries.

  1. (10 min) Divide the class into teams. Choose the following key figures and get the rest of the class to arrange themselves behind one of them. Eight will be in the inner circle. Use a fishbowl arrangement with advisers behind them in the outer circle.
    • Minister of Health' and advisers;
      • 'Minister of Finance' and advisers;
    • 'Minister of Sport' and advisers;
    • 'Minister of Social Development and advisers;
    • The 'ACC' Managing Director and staff;
    • The 'Public Health Director in the Ministry of Health;
    • Your school 'rugby team representative';
    • Your school 'netball or soccer team representative'.
  2. The agenda items for your meeting are the cost due to the increase in number of sports injuries.
  3. (10 min) Your team will have 10 minutes to put forward a proposal with a view to reducing direct and indirect taxes and government expenditure.
  4. (30 min) Each speaker will take it in turns and advisers will note down questions for discussion – at whom are they to be directed?
  5. Look for common ground (or a consensus if possible) on a solution that could be put to government. If there is disagreement one of the other team members can tap their representative on the shoulder and ask to take their place. Continue this process until the inner circle members can reach a decision.
  6. (10 min) Put the proposal to the class as a whole and then ask for a vote on it.

    For further reference
    See also:

    The New Zealand economy
    Managing the money
    Making the hard decisions
    Next class or homework assignment

  7. Each group could then design a poster for clubs and schools to put on their walls. The poster should make sports people more aware of their responsibilities.

 

 

 

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