The winter solstice was on June 20 and 21. The longest night and the shortest day, but wisdom tells us that the depths of winter does not fall until 6 weeks after the solstice.

It takes a while for actions to provoke a reaction.

So right now is the depths of winter and much is at the worst it has ever been and ever will be.

The All Blacks lost. In front of a disappointing crowd. Many are saying the poor crowd was down to economic hardship in the capital as the Government wages war on the size of the public service.

The public service in Wellington is being slashed to cut the government spending to help the economy. However, this is all happening just as the Reserve Bank tries to fix their Covid mistake. We’re in a double squeeze.  

In Covid, the Reserve Bank underestimated how well we’d operate under Covid lockdowns. With the benefit of hindsight, we know they splashed too much virtually free money. So now they have to strangle our economy after setting it on fire.

It’s debatable whether we needed a double squeeze. But here we are. Whipping ourselves big time for future good.

Meanwhile, the country is low on power. A dry winter and our gas reserves running out means that energy-dependent industries are finding it hard to make a buck and some are now on hiatus.  

Reality check. We need gas. A fossil fuel and we have no alternative. Labour had a policy but no alternative.

But another reality check. From the discovery of gas to coming online takes at least 10 years, so today’s shortage is on previous governments and gas companies. No matter what Simeon Brown says.

We’re still low on health workers and the cuts on government spending suggest we’re not really going to splash cash on them.

We’re still importing 100,000 people every year and not increasing contingencies to cope with their demands, like housing and health. But we’re more than happy to count whatever money they contribute to the economy. In John Key's years, they were called our rock star economy.

To add to all of that we have one of the most negative governments I can remember who seem to enjoy telling us how bad we are and to blame it all on the past 6 years when the rot set in 30 years ago. They’ve followed a government that told us we had 9 years of neglect.

No wonder we have a generation wanting to leave. Government after government promising the world and making no difference and telling us how rubbish we are.

But then we watch our Olympians and their work ethic and we feel good.

Then we discover that all regions are having an economic recovery. Except for Wellington for obvious reasons.

And we have an OCR statement later this week.

Could it be the long winter of discontent is finally over and we have green shoots and a good spring to come?

New Zealand is where I want to be. We’re not the cot case the Government portrays. We do need to rediscover our mojo. We need to stop saying no to good ideas. We need better public transport, we need more houses, we need more gas. We need to look after ourselves.