SMALL BRANCHES CONFERENCE: 4 - PROGRESS AND WELL-BEING
government uses different measurements to identify progress; however, they need to be mindful of how those measurements provide substantial evidence on the actual progress of the society. It was agreed that GDP could not be the sole indicator for progress or well- being and Members identified other indicators as they applied to their countries. It was the view of one of the
The Gross Domestic Product is not solely sufficient to be an indicator of a society’s progress.
cricket team which ruled the world of cricket for 60 years. His presentation focused on national and regional pride and the satisfaction derived from this as measurements of satisfaction for people. He saw this as a measure of well-being and rated this as being more important than GDP on its own. In his presentation, he saw the
continued overall development of the people of this Region as an example of how limited GDP is as a measurement of progress and well-being and didn’t reflect a lot of today’s measures in Small States i.e. environmental and social costs. In general, he stated that it doesn’t measure the progress of society only the economy and social and environmental priorities need to also be taken into consideration.
What is progress and well- being
Participants discussed the global trend to measure performance of nations by more than just economic growth. Specific reference was made to the social and environmental issues which look at things such as life expectancy, poverty rates, unemployment rates, disposable income, education levels, natural resources, environmental pollution, waste, health and leisure.
Progress and well-being were
identified as subjective terms and held different meanings to different people. However, in general terms they were recognised as reflecting the quality of life available to people. Indeed the meeting saw the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) ‘Better Life Index’ (BLI) as a true measure of a country’s development. BLI measures eleven areas including housing, income, job, community, environmental health, life satisfaction, governance, safety and work life balance and it provides comparisons across 34 countries. Hon. Wilkie Rasmussen, MP,
from the Cook Islands stated that that, although GDP on its own is not an adequate measure for progress and well-being, it is an accepted tool of measurement when running a government. He further explained that it is economists not sociologists who advise the government on the economy. He agreed that GDP on its own didn’t give a full picture; however, it is necessary for projections for the future of a country. This generated a lot of discussion
specifically with regards to the importance for legislators to be mindful of the needs of the people.
Some Members were of the opinion that a country should be judged on how it provides for the most vulnerable in society. Another indicator discussed by
Members was the “Gross National Happiness” Index which has been introduced by Canada and Britain to measure the level of happiness of their people. Surveys carried out based on this index show that people in lower income economies actually score higher and are in fact happier than people in some developed countries.
Members further cited factors
such as health, happy marriage, personal security and low crime rates as contributing to the overall happiness of people. Members agreed that GDP fails
to look at factors such as poverty and crime and in fact it measures everything except that which makes life worthwhile. It was therefore agreed that without this type of information policy makers are unable to make informed decisions. This is particularly important in assessing the capacity of small states, which are easily marginalized as they have very few safety nets.
Other measurements Members agreed that each
Barbadian delegates that what is important is determining how far the economy of a given country is able to provide for the needs and well-being of its populace. He stated that Barbados is more than just an economy, it is also a society where free health care, education (from nursery to tertiary), social programmes and employment are available to its population. A delegate from Bermuda stated
that using GDP as a measurement has its merits; however, it is important for the human element to be considered. He stated that though Bermuda is one of the richest jurisdictions in terms of per capita income, the fact is that they are Bermudians who are struggling to have their needs met. In her summation, Ms Webster-
Bourne stated that the discussion about the relevance of GDP is ongoing and, as a measurement, it has played a necessary and important role.
However, it is necessary to complement it with other indicators such as HDI, Ecological Footprints and the Quality of Life Index. Together all these indicators give a true reflection of the real state of living standards and quality of life. Mr Francis concluded that as
it now stands GDP in the eyes of the world is the main measurement to determine a country’s viability. However in small states it is not regarded as the sole criteria. Overall, Members’ expressed
hope for the future as in time there will be a more sustainable approach which will consider many more indicators to determine progress and well-being.
The Parliamentarian | 2012: Issue Four | 309
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